Today we live in a society, which can not imagine life without expressing views on social media. Probably it does have certain advantages. Nevertheless, many participants of active discussions have already forgotten or do not even know about the developments, which unfolded in Armenia 5, 10 or 15 years ago.   

To fill the gap Mediamax presents 5/10/15 project, which introduce developments in Armenia 5, 10 and 15 years ago. 

• 15 YEARS AGO: JANUARY 14-20, 2004 

Armenia hopes NATO will “adhere to its principles”

On January 14, 2004 Armenian Foreign Ministry voiced “deep concern about the fact that on the demand and with the interference of the Azerbaijani authorities, the Armenian Defense Ministry delegation was deprived of the opportunity to leave for Baku on January 13 to take part in the first planning conference of the Cooperative Best Effort 2004 military exercises”.

“Armenian Foreign Ministry condemns this action and believes that this fact stands contrary to the spirit, character and logic of NATO Partnership for Peace program. Azerbaijani authorities’ unprecedented step casts doubt over implementation of the main tasks of the Partnership, which are aimed at extension of the dialogue and relations between the countries of the North-Atlantic region, particularly the South Caucasus,” the ministry said in a statement.

On the same day Armenian FM Vardan Oskanyan said that Armenia had no intention to renounce Cooperative Best Effort 2004 and he hoped NATO would “demonstrate adherence to its principles and undertake corresponding actions to correct the situation”.  

Aliyev expects new proposals 

On January 20 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs should make new proposals on the Karabakh conflict settlement. 

According to him, the group’s activity had been “ineffective” in the past few months and the Azerbaijani people “expected a lot from the mediators.”

Ilham Aliyev in 2009

Photo: REUTERS

“We do not want a war, we do not want new casualties,” said Aliyev. He noted he considered it necessary to continue the direct dialogue between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents on the condition that the OSCE Minsk Group would not act as “an outside observer.”

Ilham Aliyev believed that Azerbaijan would “achieve the political settlement of the problem by enhancing its economic and military potential”. “However, if it does not happen, we are not going to put up with this situation.  Azerbaijan has the full right to liberate its territories at any time and by any means,” he added. “At the same time, it will be possible to think about other options for the settlement only when there is a firm belief that the peaceful potential of the settlement process is completely exhausted,” said President Aliyev.

• 10 YEARS AGO: JANUARY 14-20, 2009 

Azerbaijan’s MFA accuses Russia 

On January 15, 2009 the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan accused Russia of supplying Armenia with armament worth USD 800m and “increasing the military potential of Armenia, which occupies Azerbaijani territories”.

“This transfer contradicts the resolutions of UN Security Council on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. It means that Russia has violated the commitment to non-rendering of support to any of the sides,” the ministry claimed in a statement.

Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev in 2009

Photo: REUTERS

The document added that Azerbaijan stood against the actions aimed at consolidating the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and urged Russia to undertake all possible measures to prevent the consequences of supplying arms to Armenia.

Lavrov refutes the claims 

On the following day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov refuted the claims on supplies of weapons to Armenia. 

Lavrov revealed that Russia had examined the situation created by the Azerbaijani media publications on Russia’s large arms supplies to Armenia and found no confirmation for those reports. 

Sergey Lavrov in 2009

Photo: REUTERS

“We carried out an investigation in cooperation with the General Staff and found that the person, whose surname is mentioned in Azerbaijani media, did not sign any documents and no supplies were made to Armenia last year,” Lavrov said.

• 5 YEARS AGO: JANUARY 14-20, 2014 

“The authorities are trying to deflect”

On January 16, 2014 Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) Vladimir Karapetyan said there was “nothing more than a debate” between Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan.

When asked if it could be viewed as a sign of Robert Kocharyan’s return to politics, the ANC representative responded:

“As of the moment, we see nothing more than a debate. Moreover, we see that the authorities are trying to deflect, draw the public attention to the debate thus diverting it from relevant major issues, and we are not going to get distracted.”

Ara Tadevosyan