Seyran Ohanyan on Samvel Babayan's return: His heroic deeds are not forgotten
No one has forgotten the deeds of the ex-head of the NKR Defense Army Samvel Babayan, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told reporters on May 27, when commenting on the return of the NKR national hero to Armenia and his statement "I am back with a special mission".
Ohanyan said that he has not met with Babayan personally, but he has heard a lot about his abilities. "His deeds are not forgotten," the minister said, stressing that no one prevents him from contributing to development of the NKR. "It is his own right and his task," Ohanyan stressed.
When commenting on the information that the authorities have repaid Babayan's debts, Ohanyan said: "Such questions can be answered by persons who dealt with that". In his May 26 interview, Samvel Babayan said that before the April war the authorities of Armenia did not focus their attention on security, but after the meeting in Kazan they almost stopped modernizing the Armenian armed forces, while Azerbaijan, on the contrary, started actively increasing its military potential.
Babayan also stressed that he is not going to join any political party, but he intends to return to Artsakh where he sees his "key mission, and let the people decide the rest".
Samvel Babayan is a military, statesman and political figure, Lt. General, Artsakh National Hero. Since 1992 he had been coordinating the defense operations of NKR regions, participated in the development of Shushi liberation operation, participated in the international talks for settlement of the Karabakh conflict, was commander of the NKR Defense Army. He signed the ceasefire treaty of Armenia and NKR with Azerbaijan on behalf of the NKR. He was a member of the government and security council at the NKR President. In 2001, he was accused of organizing assassination attempt on NKR president Arkady Ghoukassyan that resulted in serious wounds of the Karabakh president, one of his bodyguards and the driver. He was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment but was pardoned by President Arkady Ghoukassyan on September 17 2010 on occasion of the 13th anniversary of the referendum of independence of NKR. He founded the Justice opposition bloc in Armenia.
In March 2005, Samvel Babayan said in an interview with RFE/RL Armenian Service that the sides to the conflict are not able to go on big concessions. Specifically, he said, the sides cannot assume the responsibility for mutual concessions. In response to the question about what particular concessions Nagorno Karabakh could make, Samvel Babayan said: "It is a fact that Nagorno Karabakh should go on concessions, cede some territories for peace, and peace not just in NKR, but also in the Caucasus, for the future.
However, it depends on how high will be the guarantee of its security. Some link the security to army, but I don't think so. Security is connected with these very territories and there are serious issues that should be settled within these frameworks. In this light, the status of Nagorno Karabakh is a secondary issue," Babayan said. It is necessary to settle the issue of refugees, forced migrants. They should return to their homes and confidence-building problems must be settled politically. As for the possibility of the resumption of military actions, the ex-minister of defense of NKR said: "If the parties fail to resolve the conflict peacefully then a war between them will take place sooner or later." He said the steps taken by the Azerbaijan army show that it is preparing for war," Samvel Babayan said.