Blogger Lapshin wants to visit Armenia’s border villages
Russian-Israeli travel blogger Alexander Lapshin, arrested and convicted in Azerbaijan for his Artsakh visit, has paid a visit to Armenia for the fourth time.
The blogger, who is in Armenia as a tourist, intends to visit the Syunik region, including the town of Meghri, as well as Armenia’s border communities to present the life of their residents amid Azerbaijani shelling, he told a news conference in Yerevan on Tuesday.
“I want to rent a car to tour the country and see what I haven’t seen yet. I have also submitted a request to the Defense Ministry’s press service to allow me to visit the border zone so that I can tell about the people, villages under Azerbaijani shooting, in particular the Noyemberyan region and several other areas,” he said.
The blogger stressed Armenia stands out from the 140 countries he has visited with its nature, architecture and interesting people.
However, Lapshin said he doesn’t plan to visit Artsakh this time, explaining the Azerbaijani authorities could use the fact of his visit to deviate the attention of its population from real problems amid the ongoing protests.
According to the blogger, the Azerbaijani society is tired of Aliyev's dictatorship. He expects some changes in Azerbaijan over the next few years, but whether they will lie in Armenia’s interest or not is difficult to say.
“Aliyev, no matter how he acts, is not dangerous for Armenia. He can be dangerous for me, but he is not dangerous for Armenia. Those who will come to replace them will act more in the interests of the people not the clan, and it isn’t clear what breakthroughs will follow,” Lapshin added.
According to the blogger, Azerbaijani people are ready for peace, but the country’s leadership is not.
“Peace with Armenia will lead to the fall of the Aliyev clan. They realize it, that’s why they will try to keep the conflict in stalled state as long as possible. They do not need peace with Armenia, but an image of an enemy and power grip at any cost,” he added.