MFA_Report_on_the_occupied_territories_March_2016_1

acquainted with the works there. 488 Those and other facts confirm the existence of a government
policy of Armenia directed at the exploitation and pillage of natural resources in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.
XIV. Armenia is profiteering economically and financially from the armed conflict and the
military occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan
Armenia is profiteering economically and financially from the armed conflict and the occupation
of the territories of Azerbaijan, through incorporation of those territories into what is referred to
by the Armenian sources as criminal oligarchic system and exploiting and pillaging the natural
resources and other forms of wealth of Azerbaijan. 489 There is a clear correlation between the
exploitation of resources, including in the occupied Kalbajar, Lachyn, Gubadly, Jabrayil and
Zangilan districts, and the uncompromised position of Armenia, unwilling to withdraw its armed
forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
The examined evidence reveals that the
exploitation of mineral and other economic
wealth in the occupied territories is turned into
a lucrative business and is the major source
of income for Armenia and its subordinate
separatist regime in the occupied territories. 490
The most frequently used term by the Armenian
observers to describe the system of exploitation
of the wealth in the occupied territories, which
serves the oligarchs-owned businesses and
represents the fusion of political power and
economics, is “Bakonomics”, highlighting
the role of Bako Sahakyan, who was left “in
charge” by Serzh Sargsyan to manage the
financial and economic flows out of occupied
territories. 491
The close, almost umbilical, links between the subordinate separatist
regime and Armenia have a strong personal element at the highest
level. Above, President of Armenia meets with Bako Sahakyan
│Photo from www.president.am │24 October 2012
Close connections of businesses operating
in the occupied territories with the separatist
regime and Armenian officials in Yerevan have
been a matter of public repute in Armenia
and elsewhere for a long time. 492 Incumbent
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and
his predecessor Robert Kocharyan entered
the politics in Armenia from within the ranks
of the separatist regime and transferred President of Armenia awards Valeri Mejlumyan, Chairman of the
Vallex Group, with 1
their oligarchic networks established in the
st degree of the order “For Services Provided to
the Homeland”
occupied territories with them to Yerevan. 493 All │Photo from www.armenpress.am │20 December 2014
major business enterprises in the occupied territories are established, financed and controlled by
488
See “On 13 November “Artsakh Republic President” Bako Sahakyan and President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
attended military maneuvers conducted by the NKR Defense Army at the central part of the republic”, Artsakhtert.com, 14 November
2013,.
489
See “Artsakh Is An Excuse For Armenian Criminal Oligarchy”, Lragir.am, 12 October 2013, ; “’Bakonomics’ Is Destructive for Artsakh”, Epress.am, 13 March 2015, .
490
See “New War of Armenia”, Lragir.am, 23 April 2013, .
491
See “‘Bakonomics’ Is Destructive for Artsakh”, Epress.am, 13 March 2015, .
492
See “Armenia: Crisis Spotlights Karabakh Clan”, RFE/RL, 05 March 2008, .
493
See “Breaking the Grip of the Oligarchs”, Foreign Policy, 05 November 2012, ;
“Armenia: Crisis Spotlights ‘Karabakh Clan”, RFE/RL, 05 March 2008, .
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