Interview with the Russian presidential candidate, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky
- How will the Russian-Azerbaijani relations be if you are elected the president of Russia?
- Azerbaijan and Armenian can not solve the Nagorno Karabakh problem without Russia. Therefore I will propose Azerbaijan and Armenia to join Russia as a Trans-Caucasian Federal Region. Governorship of this federal region should be given to Azerbaijan because of population size, but the deputy governor can be elected among the Armenians. If Azerbaijan and Armenia don’t accept this proposal, we will recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh.
- Today Russia recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
- We will not do it. If we recognize, it will damage our relations with Armenia. We need Armenia to use it as leverage over Turkey. Turkey hinders Azerbaijan. If there is no Turkey, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict would be resolved. Turkey is a great country, NATO member. It has a strong army. Armenia defends our borders from the direction of Turkey. We need Armenia for that reason.
- The French Senate adopted a draft law criminalizing the denial of “Armenian genocide”. Is it possible to be adopted in Russia too?
- I positively accept the French Senate’s decision. We have no such law in Russia. We don’t like to irritate Azerbaijan and Armenia by an initiative of adopting similar law. Live just as you choose. You were living in the Soviet Union better, but started to fight when you left it. I am an Orientalist. I told these words 20 years ago too. The war between Israel and Arabs will never end. It will never end between Azerbaijan and Armenia too. Only Russia can solve this problem. I don’t like the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The OSCE Minsk Group, France and other will never assist the solution of the problem. We can’t leave Armenian alone because of direct threats from Turkey. Do you know the “3rd combat troops” plan of Turkey? They want to seize whole Caucasus, Voronezh, Volgograd and Rostov. We can’t allow it.
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