Media Review for February 20

A glance at the demarcation of the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the intensity of military exercises of the Armed Forces, pollution of the Caspian Sea, and the possibility of toughening the quarantine regime are topics of today's media.

The website Yenisabah.az discusses with the deputy Fazil Mustafa the issue of the possibility of returning 10 villages to Nakhchivan. The author, making an excursion into history, says that on February 18, 1929, by the decree of the Central Executive Committee of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, which at one time included Azerbaijan, 10 villages of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic were transferred to Armenia. At that time, the transfer of 657 square kilometers of the territory of the Autonomous Republic to Armenia grossly violated the terms of the Moscow Treaty of March 16, 1921 and the Kars Treaty of October 13, 1921.

According to the deputy, these territories were illegally transferred to Armenia, in addition, in 1931, 4 more villages and about 15 square kilometers along the Mehri-Nakhchivan-Ordubad road were transferred.

At present, the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are established within the framework of the borders that existed under the USSR. However, the lost lands remain a historical fact and the demand to return them will have no result, since there will be no legal basis.

The website Redaktor.az discusses the likelihood of a new war with the military expert Abuzar Abilov. This assumption arose on the basis of the intensity of the military exercises of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

According to the expert, now the army is significantly different from the army of the 90s, so exercises are held more often. The exercises must be carried out despite the end of the war. You must always be ready for war, since Azerbaijan is adjacent to four very different countries.

The website Bizimyolinfo.az discusses the situation with the pollution of the Caspian Sea. The greatest pollution occurs through the Hovsan Canal. According to official information, during the day, on average, 100 thousand cubic meters of untreated wastewater is discharged into the sea. Waste waters from Balakhanı Oil, Surakhanı Oil, AzGerneft, as well as Zabrat-1, Zabrat-2, Ramana, Sabunchu, Surakhani and Bina are discharged into the Hovsan Canal. These areas are not connected to the central sewerage system. The problem with the Hovsan Canal lasts for years, and, according to experts, its solution is impossible. This is dangerous not only for people living in this area, but also for the entire ecosystem of the Caspian.

The website Müsavat.com writes that the quarantine regime may again be tightened during the Novruz holidays. Due to the easing of the quarantine regime recently, some people do not adhere to the established rules.

In addition, the likelihood of a tightening of the regime in March is due to the fact that there are many holidays this month, which means that people will visit each other, which can aggravate the epidemiological situation. However, vaccination should play an important role.