Gennady Zyuganov: "Armenia and Azerbaijan will find peace only in close cooperation with Russia"

Interview by Vestnik Kavkaza

Comment by the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the head of the Communist Party faction in the State Duma, Gennady Zyuganov. The politician told VK about figures who benefit from creating a negative image of the Caucasus.

-          Why do the mass media create a negative image of people from the North Caucasus?

-          A negative image of our country, our history and culture is being created. We started with a negative image of leadership - Stalin, Lenin - then Russia became a “wrong” power, now the Russian people are drunkards and idlers. It is a well thought-out strategy that destroys the fabric of our being, our life. After all, the wisdom and talent of the Russian people lies in the fact that in our history we have gathered under our banners 190 languages, nationalities, not tearing down any culture, any faith. We did everything to multiply and keep them. On our territory there has never been any religious hatred. Therefore, those who do not want Russia to be united fomented war in the Caucasus. I explained to Yeltsin and his accomplices a hundred times that a military solution to the Chechen problem does not exist, but they broke everything. I told them twenty times that we are all interested in the development of production; in the Caucasus, there are a lot of interesting, surprisingly useful things. Instead, they only ruined the industry. People lost their jobs, and uncontrolled migration began. There are quite strong influential circles in this country who are willing to play the Caucasian card and international relations and to push their advantage.

The criminal oligarchic bourgeoisie, when its difficulties arise, sees a way out especially in military, ethnic and religious conflicts. These conflicts have been ignited all the time. Today they have reached us and are trying to set fire to the North Caucasus. We have no right to allow this. It's an absolutely criminal policy which will harm all the people living on our territory.

-          What do you think about relations between Moscow and the South Caucasus states?

-          The Caucasus is a unique land, a beautiful territory. As for relations with Georgia, they have always been good and friendly. Relations with Armenia have been historically neighborly and hearty. We have always had close contacts with Azerbaijan – friendly and industrial. During the Great Patriotic War we received 80% of our oil from Baku; we couldn’t win the war without Baku oil. We should remember, develop, and improve this. What are they doing now? They are trying to debase our relations and split the citizens of our countries. We should provide an information policy aimed at a respectful attitude to all traditions, customs, nations. The beauty of the world is in its multi-hued cultures, languages, nations, religions. The planet cannot live without it. There is no normal life without it. However, we need reasonable thoughtful policy, smart heads, rather than attempts to settle all questions by the rule of the police. Ethnic issues cannot be solved like that.

-          What do you think about settlement of conflicts in the Caucasus, for example, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

-          It is a delicate, painful theme. Bloody military wounds heal with difficulty. That’s why we should sit down to talk and search for settlements. I think a settlement is coming. But without Russia’s efforts in the regions it would be very difficult to find a way out. Those who want to humiliate Russia, who want to make it stop developing effectively, will do their best to continue the conflict. Yerevan and Baku should remember that they will find peace only through close cooperation with Russia.