Category: 2022

ArmInfo.Normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and a settlement of the  Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict are interconnected, but different  processes, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh David Babayan  stated at a Facebook conference held by the Azatutyun Radio.

However, developing the bilateral relations does not at all imply  ignoring the Nagorno-Karabakh process and Artsakh’s future or  simultaneous processes, or Nagorno-Karabakh remaining part of  Azerbaijan. 

“No doubt, this is one of the main objectives of official Baku  – and  they do not at all conceal it. They are openly stating that their top  priority is that Armenia itself recognize Artsakh as part of  Azerbaijan. That would be a historical, political, geopolitical and  even moral victory for them,” Mr Babayan said. 

According to him, it gives rise to numerous questions concerning  Artsakh’s future. In this context, Mr Babayan stressed that Artsakh  will never be part of Azerbaijan, and any attempts of annexation will  result in another genocide and war. 

“And Artsakh’s fall will be followed by the fall of Armenian  statehood – and let no one have doubts,” Mr Babayan said. 

As regards Armenia’s six proposals concerning a peace agreement with  Azerbaijan, he pointed out that the Artsakh authorities and people  have equal votes, as one person cannot decide Nagorno-Karabakh’s  fate.

“We have repeatedly addressed the issue at various levels, including  the President of Nagorno-Karabakh.  We emphasized the unacceptability  of becoming part of Azerbaijan, with both the Parliament and foreign  office issuing special statements. No doubt, guaranteeing security to  the people is well and good, but what is this security status? No  status in Azerbaijan can ensure our security. On the contrary, our  very existence will be questioned. Or rather, the outcome is well  known – bloodshed, war massacre. This is Artsakh’s position,” Mr  Babayan said. 

Speaking of the peace agenda, he stated that Artsakh prefers peace to  war and a peaceful settlement of all the problems, which, however,  does not at all mean Stepanakert will tacitly consent to all the  proposals and to becoming part of Azerbaijan. The so-called “cultural  autonomy” is out of the question. 

“We have experienced all that. What cultural autonomy are you talking  about? We had autonomy in the Soviet Union and it was only due to the  deterrent factor of the Soviet Union that we were not annihilated.   Azerbaijan is not at all concealing its intentions, and any status in  Azerbaijan will lead to Artsakh’s fall,” Mr Babayan said.  The world  has now entered an era of barefaced geopolitics, and nations must  defend their interests themselves by “holding on to their future like  grim death.” 

The Artsakh president is informed of the peace process and  Stepanakert’s redline is that Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be part of  Azerbaijan. 

Asked who it was that made Artsakh leave the negotiating table, Mr  Babayan called for the question to be left to historians. The last  trilateral meeting (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh) took  place back in 1996. Later the process was disrupted, he added. 

ArmInfo.Amid the global geopolitical turmoil, replacing Armenia’s authorities with a  provisional government of some sort would be the greatest act of  folly to be committed, and Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan are  perfectly aware of that, Aram Sargsyan, Chairman of the Republic  party, said in an interview with ArmInfo. 

“These people have passed a long way and been tested by power. They  are experienced in carrying the burden of state rule. After all, they  contributed to Armenia making a state. So they should be perfectly  aware that, amid the current turmoil in international relations, with  rules of the game in global politics being changed and specified – by  means of wars – changing power in Armenia is not at all rational even  in the interests of this same nationhood,” Mr Sargsyan said.  

In this context, the politician welcomes all the calls for unanimity  inside Armenia, including first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s  proposal Nikol Pashinyan, Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan to meet  and discuss the rather disturbing situation in Armenia and in  Artsakh.    

Mr Sargsyan is surprised at what has caused Ter-Petrosyan himself to  refuse to get involved in this political discourse, whereas, in the  interest of this very unity, he, as senior and founder of the Third  Republic, should introduce the initiative. 

“I think, regardless of the different political approaches and ‘camp’  affiliation, the current geopolitical situation is making it  necessary for all the four Armenian leaders to meet and talk. And I  do not at all think that Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan will not  be able to calm down their ‘street’ supporters in case those show  their discontent. It is they that are orchestrating the protests,  with all the rest being just performers,” Mr Sargsyan said.

ArmInfo.Europe’s involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process is impossible with Russian peacekeepers deployed ‘on land’, Andrey Areshev, a Russian expert in  the Caucasus, said in an interview with ArmInfo. 

“As an expert, I cannot understand at all how Brussels is going to do  it. Also, it is absolutely unclear how European structures are going  to be involved in the border delimitation and demarcation process  between Armenia and Azerbaijan, without any practical mechanisms ‘on  land’ at their disposal. What is clear is only Europe’s desire to  establish control over both the Karabakh pace process and entire  process of settling Armenian-Azerbaijani problems,” Mr Areshev said.  

Europe’s attitude to Moscow and its interests in the post-Soviet  space is not at all inspiring optimism. And the previous relative  cooperation, at least within the OSCE Minsk Group, has given way  Europe totally ignoring Russia. The same can be said of other  regional mechanisms. 

According to Mr Areshev, Armenia’s Premier Nikol Pashinyan is trying  to maneuver without taking sides with Moscow or Brussels, seeking to  retain its seemingly stable political positions with the help of  Europe’s promises and money. In this context, the expert recalls  Brussels’ promise of Euro 2.6bln to Armenia. However, since most of  the funds are loans, they will make Armenia even more dependent on  the West.  

“The current actions of the statesman Pashinyan and his team appear  more tactical than strategic. These people go on ‘patching up  economic and political holes’, which cannot last long for obvious  reasons. And his notorious geopolitical maneuvering is being  accompanied by serious reputation risks for Armenia and, primarily  for Nagorno-Karabakh, which, in turn, is causing discontent and  protests inside Armenia,” Mr Areshev said.

ArmInfo.Son of General Yuri Khachaturov, Igor Khachaturov, was detained on suspicion of using violence against a government official.

Thus, according to the RA Investigative Committee, a criminal case  was initiated in the Division of Investigation of Grave Crimes of  Yerevan Investigative Department on the grounds of Part 1 of Art. 316  of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia and investigative  measures are being taken to clarify the circumstances of the use of  violence against a police officer by the participants in the  opposition’s disobedience actions.

According to the report, according to preliminary data, on May 17,  around 08:30, a group of participants in the protest action of  disobedience blocked the road at St. Kyiv 15, thus preventing the  free movement of other citizens.

“The RA Police officers on duty at the indicated place, protecting  public order, called for the opening of the road and tried to remove  the demonstrators from the road. At this time, two of the protesters  hit the policeman in the chest with their hands, as a result of which  the latter lost consciousness.

In the course of the investigation, the identity of one of those who  used force against the policeman was identified – this is citizen  Igor Khachaturov (son of Yuri Khachaturov, ed. note ). The latter was  detained on suspicion of using violence against a government  official,” the RA Investigative Committee noted, adding that the  preliminary investigation is ongoing.

It should be noted that from 08:00 am to 11:30 am, members of the  Resistance Movement held protest actions in Yerevan. During this  period, more than 50 streets were blocked, according to opposition  reports.  The city was paralyzed. The participants of the action of  disobedience chanted “Armenia without Nikola!”, “Armenia without a  Turk!”, “We are the masters of our country!”. Law enforcement  officers used brute force against peaceful demonstrators while  unblocking the streets. There are injured citizens – some have broken  arms, dislocations, and other injuries. According to the RA police,  417 people were detained by the police during the protest actions.