On March 7, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed two decrees on appointing his representatives in the “liberated territories”. Accordingly, one representative was appointed in the city of Stepanakert, Martakert and Askeran, and the second in the regions of Martuni, Aghdam and Fizuli. The Ministry of Defense of Russia has been using the wording “Karabakh Economic Region of the Azerbaijan Republic” in its troop deployment map since last fall, although the President of the country, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, in 2020. by the decree of November 10, which was approved by the established procedure at the session of the Upper House of the Federal Assembly held on the same day, “a peacekeeping troop is deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh”. There is no official information about whether Putin revoked his decree or changed the name.
In fact, Ilham Aliyev divided the former Nagorno-Karabakh region into three zones. one is Shushi, where he has a special representative, two are formed by a new decree: Stepanakert, Martakert and Askeran, and the third – Aghdam, Martuni and Fizuli regions. Moreover, Martuni also includes Hadrut region. Aliyev’s order follows his three-hour talks with the Russian Prime Minister Mishustin. According to Baku press, the parties have “reached an agreement in principle” regarding North-South international transport communication.
It was assumed that Aliyev would receive “something” from Moscow in exchange for accepting that extremely difficult decision. Apparently, it is Putin’s agreement that Aliyev demonstratively “oversteps” his decree on the deployment of Russian troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, as, perhaps, they also say on the streets of St. Petersburg when settling accounts. Otherwise, why didn’t Ilham Aliyev sign such an order the day after assuming the post of president for the fifth time, when he was appointing a prime minister and forming a “new” government?
Of course, it can be hypothesized that he made a fraudulent move to inflame the already complicated Russian-Armenian relations. But a careful look should have noticed that after the terrorist war of September 19, Aliyev has not yet set foot in Martuni. He was once in the Red Market town, but he did not organize a “ceremonial ceremony” of raising the Azerbaijani flag in the cities of Martuni and Chartar.
There is an impression from certain information leaks that on September 19, only the Martakert region was to be occupied and forcibly deported. Under what circumstances did Aliyev violate the initial agreement, it is only conjectural. Let us record that five representatives of the Russian military group were killed by face-to-face fire in the Martakert region. Moreover, officers were killed. It is likely that they had a problem of “determining the border” with the Azerbaijani military group. Aliyev made it clear that he “will not stop”.
It should be expected that Aliyev will also appear in the south of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the cities of Martuni and Chartar, in the coming days. Moscow approved. In essence, the Russian president is “ultimately killing” Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku demands from the western actors to exclude the name “Nagorno Karabakh” from the political and legal discourse. Aliyev also expects Armenia to abandon the claims submitted to international courts. Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor are recognized by the Hague Court’s preliminary ruling last year.
