A few days after “mysterious” and rather oddly-formatted visit to Georgian Bolnisi by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, a scandalous event occured in another region of Georgia with Armenian population (Akhalkalaki), which can be deservedly regarded as “vile provocation” by both Baku and Tbilisi. Allegedly, local municipality made decision at instigation of neighboring state to erect a bust to Akhalkalaki district born Mikhail Avagyan, nicknamed Cobra, in the village of Bukhashen (Bugashen, according to another version). He received this nickname during the war against Azerbaijan.
Not only representatives of the village and district authorities, but also deputies of Georgian parliament from the Armenian-populated regions of southern Georgia Samvel Manukyan and Enzel Mkoyan participated in opening ceremony of the bust. Both are members of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Now party leadership and parliamentarians swear that they didn't know about their plans to participate in a clearly anti-Georgian event in advance.
Enzel Mkoyan was still known to public only because during recent presidential elections, together with an armed gang, he attacked and brutally beat his compatriot, a native of the same district. Political differences was named as official reason for his actions. But Mkoyan is protected by immunity that comes with the deputy status. However, it doesn't exempt the ruling party from responsibility for actions of its member, who was accused of violence and banditry.
As for Cobra bust itself, it's reported that it was made back in the 1990s, but at that time Armenian nationalists didn't dare to erect it in a public place. This bust stayed in the warehouse all these years, until authors of this provocation decided to go through with their plan.
Installation of this monument was done in a traditionally thorough, sly way: now head of the Akhalkalaki region, Yurik Hunanyan, says that this bust was erected in children's park. This way he can criticize anyone who's against it, saying "how can they be against construction of children's park?" But there should and will be objections, because you can't install bust of anyone who is accused of killing women and children in a neighboring friendly country in children's park. After all, he's considered a war criminal.
Another proof that this provocation was careful thoughtout is date of installation of this bust - January 20. Organizers obviously knew that January 20 is a tragic day for Azerbaijani people, that it's a day, when mourning events commemorating hundreds of victims of military attacks carrued out on January 20, 1990, are held in Baku and other Azerbaijani cities.
Finally, another proof that confirms that anti-Georgian and anti-Azerbaijani provocation in Akhalkalaki was organized not only by municipal authorities or individual nationalists, but by Armenian state: Armenian ambassador to Tbilisi Ruben Sadoyan personally participated in the opening ceremony. After cutting red ribbon and giving a pretentious speach, Armenian diplomat said that thanks to people like Mikhail Avagyan, “Armenian people achieved important victories,” in other words, were able to occupy 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan.
Of course, diplomat knew that this hurts the country where he works as an ambassador. After all, things ambassadors say represent position of not just the embassy, but of the state itself. This means that Armenian state, through its official representative, has carried out a clear provocation with the aim of driving creating a discord between two friendly countries - Azerbaijan and Georgia.
There's no other possible interpretation, because even if Samvel Manukyan and Enzel Mkoyan are deputies of Georgian parliament, if leaders of the local municipality are officially considered just “Georgian officials”, and Armenian state is not responsible for them and their actions, ambassador is a person who directly represents the state itself. Any step he takes can't be just a private initiative.
It would be great if there were Armenian officials and politicians who would understand harm of fueling conflicts, who would understand that they have responsibility before their own people, their own children, and that they must think about what they will leave behind - a prosperous state in peaceful region or war-torn territory, surrounded exclusively by hostile countries.
