The National Assembly of Armenia suggests that the country hardens its stand on the Karabakh issue by changing the course of its foreign policy, “being more preemptive and not just respond to the militaristic statements by Baku.”

Members of the parliament think the adoption of a new, more offensive policy belated but necessary.

“If the policy is not changed we will solidify in our surrendering defensive position,” says Larisa Alaverdyan of the Heritage faction.

The National Assembly considers the statement submitted by its speaker Tigran Torosyan in regard to the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh problem, who also suggested that a standing committee on Nagorno-Karabakh problem is formed.

Torosyan suggests in a draft statement that three problems be addressed: initiatives aimed at involving the international community; making the policy more triggering; legal grounds established for security and defense of NKR by Armenia.

“This statement is in no way a manifestation of alarm; it makes a call for just a serious everyday work,” says the speaker.

The decision on the statement and the change in policy was made on March 14th after the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Situation in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan supported by 39 countries, with 7 states against and 100 abstained.

Former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian qualified the resolution that called Armenia an ‘occupant’ once again as “unnecessary and outdated”, underlining that the resolution “shows Azerbaijan is defending, not offending.”

However, the discussions on the adoption of the statement take place along with the new steps initiated by Azerbaijan. Earlier last week parliament member Musa Ghuliev of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) Party stated at a parliamentary session “Irevan [the Azerbaijani transcription for Yerevan] is one of the ancient towns of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliev has underlined the necessity to return the old Azerbaijani town of Irevan at a meeting with citizens.”

According to [Azerbaijani] Trend News Agency Ghuliev stated one of Azerbaijan’s settlements should be called Yeni Irevan (New Yerevan).

Ogtai Asadov, speaker of Azeribaijan’s parliament, Milli Mejlis, informed a statement on ‘Irevan as an ancient Azerbaijani town’ will soon be submitted to the parliament for recognition.

Political analyst Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan expresses his indignation this kind of statements are not given proper attention, despite the possible serious consequences they may bring.

“We frequently scorn and neglect such statements, but a generation grows in Azerbaijan confident Armenians have occupied their land and believe Yerevan, Garni, Sevan and other places their own,” says Melik-Shahnazaryan.

The statements of the political analyst find their confirmation in the Azerbaijani electronic newspapers. An article on Day.az this week cites the leader of the Humanistic Party of Azerbaijan Oktai Atakhan as saying: “The whole territory of the so called ‘Republic of Armenia’, every piece of its land is a native land and territory of the Azerbaijani nation.” (http://www.day.az/news/politics/115485.html)

Armenian MP Armen Ashotyan underlines “Azerbaijan both ‘injects’ this historic nonsense into the minds of Azerbaijanis and actively propagates these lies in the whole world.”

“We misuse even the opportunities given by the internet – we don’t create a competitive internet portal. Google cites only two pro-Armenian resources, while there are four Azerbaijani resources on Karabakh in English. We lag behind; Armenian resources do not have engine optimization that is why the search with the word ‘Karabakh’ brings the pro-Azerbaijani sites first. This is a matter of information security,” says Ashotyan.

During the discussions of the new policy on Karabakh problem, the representatives of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation criticized the previously undertaken steps calling the policy ‘toothless’.

“The day Azerbaijan began to barbarically destroy the monuments in Jugha, we had to leave the negotiation process. You would see what would happen: they would try to keep us, would seek our forgiveness,” says the former deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Vahan Hovhannisyan.

The deputy mentions Armenia’s response to the militaristic statements by Azerbaijan should be a serious program of population resettlement in the liberated territories.

“We don’t manage it, because we speak of the return of territories all the time, while Azerbaijan has never told during the negotiations what it will concede, it says it is ready for compromise, then states if the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not restored it will launch a war. Why do we bow to it so much?!” Hovhannisyan wonders.

The ARF also suggests that a provision in the statement is added providing signing an agreement with Azerbaijan of a mutual refusal from the use of force.

Former deputy Shavarsh Kocharyan also points to the shortcomings of the negotiation process. He says first of all it’s the foreign policy that “has never been offensive.”

“We have rather responded to Azerbaijan’s steps. As a result a picture in advantage of Azerbaijan has been created: there is a territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, part of Azerbaijan’s territory is under the control of Armenian forces, so Armenia is an aggressor,” says Kocharyan.

The Heritage Party had offered changing the tactics earlier in September last year by submitting a draft Law on Recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic but the draft was criticized and killed.

“If we passed it then, we would prevent the UN resolution,” says Vardan Khachatryan, political secretary of the party, mentioning it’s better late than never.