Yerevan /Mediamax/. Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan said that "Azerbaijan is an autocratic sultanate, where the sultan mixes the interests of his country with his own ones.”

“Regretfully, the world is governed by the principles of realpolitik. For example, what is important for Europe now is gas no matter where exactly it comes from. France has supported us from the very beginning. This comes from the authorities, but also from the civil society. My impression is that they support us, because this is like the story of David and Goliath. We are a small democratic country, we hold elections, we have political parties, opposite views,” Vardanyan said in an interview with the French Le Spectacle Du Monde.

As to whether he believes that the President of France Emmanuel Macron can ask the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to give up Azerbaijani gas, the Artsakh state minister said:

“I do not know whether it will be easy or not. What he can do, however, is to tell Ilham Aliyev and his family that they are no longer desirable guests for France, because what they do is no longer acceptable. It could have had an effect because dictators are sensitive to their image. That is why I believe that sanctions against the Aliyev family will be useful. It might be a way to let him know that he cannot always do what he wants.”