Author: Emil Lazarian

ArmInfo. Armenia must clarify what it means by Artsakh’s final status, Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, told reporters on the sidelines on the  Future Armenian forum as he responded to a question about Armenia not  positively insisting on Nagormo- Karabakh’s self-determination. 

“I think Armenia must clarify what it means by ‘the final status’ and  at least clarify that this status does not mean Artsakh’s being part  of Azerbaijan,” Mr Stepanyan said.

“This option is unacceptable to us. The Artsakh people will not  accept such a settlement,” he said. 

As to the international community’s demand to “lower the bar,” Mr  Stepanyan said:

“I do not know what ‘lowering the car’ could mean. But I know for  sure what it cannot mean. Artsakh has always been speaking of  recognition of its rights to self-determination and independence.”

He recalled various options, including interim ones, proposed by the  OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

“Numerous options are available, with the only exception, namely,  Artsakh being part of Azerbaijan,” Mr Stepanyan said. He does not  think that a decision unacceptable to Arstakh could be made. As to  the international community turning a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s  anti-Armenian policy, he said it is “bitter reality.” “Human rights  protection is subject to political and geopolitical interests. And we  have repeatedly voiced our concern at different discussions,” he  said.  

This approach renders meaningless the thousands of documents adopted  after World War II – they should be put aside for political interests  to be served. 

“But it does not mean our renouncing our way. We must remain  committed to our chosen way – the right to self-determination,  security, life and preservation of our cultural values. It is public  perception. That is, if those making political decisions are invoking  political gains, those defending public interests understand the  human rights agenda. My task is to make ordinary people in Europe,  the United States and Russia understand that the Artsakh population’s  rights cannot be protected with Azerbaijan implementing an anti-  Armenian policy. I can say that, in my view, the Russian peacekeepers  have changed their opinion on many issues after coming here and  staying for a year and a half. That is why we are saying to  international organizations: come here to see what is really taking  place here.” 

ArmInfo.Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan in the opposition ranks guarantee a failure of the opposition forces’ plans to have power changed in Armenia, David  Sanasaryan, Chairman of the Sovereign Armenian party, said in an  interview with ArmInfo.

“The three political forces active in the streets now could even  replace all the ‘former ones’ with ‘new ones’. But it will not  improve the situation. The very presence of Robert Kocharyan and  Serzh Sargsyan along with the ‘new ones’ makes the public feel  instinctive dislike for both, with consequent prospects for a change  of power in the country,” he said.  

Mr Sanasaryan is sure that it is the odious leaders of the protest  movement that make the public take up a clear stance on both the  protests and on the protesters – choosing between Armenia’s Premier  Nikol Pashinyan on the one hand and the Armenian Revolutionary  Federation (ARF-D) along with Robert Kocharyan’s and Serzh Sargsyan’s  supporters on the other hand. And the choice is in Nikol Pashinyan’s  favor.  

It is the political forces formed around the two ex-presidents during  the 44-day war that are creating the present domestic political  situation in Armenia, namely, having positive impact on Nikol  Pashinyan’s power. That is, their very existence is a present to the  ruling party Civil Contract and to the premier himself.  

“Thus, even now that the opposition movement has reached its climax  one can forecast that the street forces’ effort to cause domestic  chaos will fail. They are doomed to failure without public support  for the aforementioned reasons,” Mr Sanasaryan said.

ArmInfo. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy’s statement on the Artsakh population’s role in deciding its fate did not contain any new messages, Chairman of the European Party of Armenia Tigran Khzmalyan said in an interview with ArmInfo.

“The fact is that the United States has always recognized the right  to self-determination. Let us recall even the Roosevelt-Churchill  negotiations on the fate of the British Empire during World War II.  In this context, I do not see anything new in Ms Ambassador’s  statement. And if it is something new to us, it can only suggest that  the wrong policy has been pursued for decades or that the Armenian  political elite has been deceiving their own people,” Mr Khzmalyan  said.  

The new thing is perhaps the fact that Armenian society has not been  informed that there were not any contradictions between territorial  integrity and the right to self-determination. Specifically, in  contrast to constantly changing borders, the principle of  self-determination is everlasting and inviolable. So in case this  principle is adhered to, the rights to security and the fate of  Armenia and, first of all, of Artsakh will be considered in the  context of the law of the U.S., EU and of the rest of the civilized  world.  

According to Mr Khzmalyan, this is what the United States is giving  hints about to Armenia time and again. And the last message was in  the autumn of 2018, when Mr John Robert Bolton, then United States  National Security Advisor, arrived in Yerevan to meet with Armenia’s  newly appointed Premier Nikol Pashinyan. That message contained  proposals for arms supplies to Armenia. But it was in fact a proposal  to make a choice between the Western and Eastern civilizations, Mr  Khzmalyan said.