BBC Newshour Live recently published an interview with Nubar Afeyan, the CEO of “Mederna” pharmaceutical company. During the interview, Afeyan discussed the cooperation between “Mederna” and the “AstraZeneca” human scientific research initiative, as well as his business partner, Ruben Vardanyan.

One of the topics addressed in the interview was the military offensive in Karabakh, which resulted in the displacement of approximately 120 thousand ethnic Armenians and forced many to flee their homes. The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory has been ongoing for over three decades, although ongoing peace negotiations have improved the situation, some armed groups are still present.

Last week, a petition was signed by Nobel laureates, business leaders, former government officials, and human rights organizations, calling for an impartial and independent investigation into the violations of the rights of the Armenian population, particularly high-ranking officials of the government of Karabakh. Among the signatories was Ruben Vardanyan, a prominent Armenian businessman and former official of the government of Karabakh who reportedly supports Armenian financial funding, the creation of illegal armed formations, and the violation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

In an interview with Nubar Afeyan, the CEO of Moderna and business partner of Ruben Vardanyan, Afeyan described Vardanyan as a philanthropist who previously worked as a businessman in Russia. Afeyan and Vardanyan collaborated for 23 years on socio-economic development projects in Armenia. Vardanyan is recognized and respected as a spiritual leader of the Armenian nation, especially in light of the Armenian genocide committed by the Turks a century ago.

The reporter questioned Nubar Afeyan about the allegations that Azerbaijan interfered in the affairs of Ruben Vardanyan. Afeyan confidently dismissed these allegations as baseless.

When asked if the message in the petition could be altered, Afeyan emphasized that the petition is just one action among many aimed at achieving justice. He believes that it is not enough to have a single message; instead, the number of people supporting the cause should increase.

The reporter raised the issue of people being forced to flee their homes and asked if this could be considered a result of the armed conflict. Afeyan distinguished between violations of personal property and private land and violations of a state’s territorial integrity. He stated that the Armenian people firmly believe that Azerbaijan violated the territorial integrity of the Republic of Mountainous Karabakh, which was established last year. He emphasized that Armenia has not engaged in any military intervention.

Regarding why people flee, Afeyan suggested looking at the situation from a different perspective. He mentioned that some people involved in ethnic cleansing and war crimes were responsible for the displacement of people from Mountainous Karabakh and its surrounding territories, according to international organizations. He clarifies that the Armenian people are not involved in warlike actions and, therefore, should not be seen as the reason for the displacement.

When repeatedly asked why people flee, Nubar Afeyan maintained his belief that there has been no significant armed action from Azerbaijan’s side.