The other day, Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev referred to to accusations that there are Israeli military facilities in Azerbaijan, or that Baku is a “lifeline” and its territory can be used by Israeli special services against Iran, and assured that they are ready to provide their territory for any inspection.

In this context, Hajiyev added that they will never give their territory to any third country against a neighboring state, and in particular, a friendly Iran, and then, according to him, it is technically impossible to reach Azerbaijan from Israel, the territory of Turkey must be used for this, which is excluded.

What does Aliyev want to understand by this and to whom? Does Iran continue to distrust Azerbaijan and send similar signals non-publicly?

On these and other issues 168.amhas talked “Base” military analytical of the center founder Vitaly with Mangasaryan.

– The question of whether the territory of Azerbaijan is being used by Israel’s special services against Iran is not new, but in recent months, it can be said, it has gained new momentum.

According to CNN’s extensive coverage, Israeli special forces, rescue units, and Mossad agents operated from the territory of Azerbaijan, providing reconnaissance and strike operations along Iran’s northern border, including the assassination of IRGC intelligence officer Rahman Moghaddam on March 4 of this year.

The following day, drones struck Nakhichevan airport in what Ilham Aliyev described as an “ugly, cowardly and shameful act of terrorism”, blaming Iran, while Tehran denied any involvement.

At one time, this topic was circulated quite intensively in the Iranian pro-government press and in the statements of officials, often accompanied by direct accusations against Baku. There were open warnings from the Iranian side that Tehran will not tolerate the presence of the enemy’s special services or military infrastructures in the immediate vicinity of its borders for a long time.

As we know, after the 2020 war, Azerbaijan started large-scale construction of airports and strategic infrastructures, and some of these facilities could practically serve or have served intelligence purposes against Iran.

Today, when the situation in the region is quite tense again, and the danger of a new wave of military operations is very real, Aliyev is trying to make himself a “strakhovka”, so to speak. I think that Iran, for obvious reasons, did not allow itself to take tougher steps, especially that it is not advisable for Tehran to make new enemies at this stage.

The assurances given by Hajiyev show that Azerbaijan is trying to neutralize the accusations against it. Thus, the Aliyev regime is trying to reduce the immediate risks by avoiding an open confrontation with Iran, especially when the regional balance of power can change at any moment.

– In any case, how would you assess the strategic and military relations between Azerbaijan and Israel? Is Baku not able to be useful to Israel at all, or how is it able to be useful?

– It is no secret that Israel was the main supplier of military equipment to Azerbaijan in the 44-day war. As a result of that large-scale support, it can be stated that Azerbaijan is indebted to Israel, both morally and strategically. When Baku became diplomatically and materially dependent on the supply of modern weapons, Israel itself did not shy away from implementing these large-scale programs, despite possible international opposition.

Thanks to that support, Azerbaijan was able to achieve its military goals, which for the Israeli side became an investment in strengthening bilateral long-term ties.

I think it would be wrong to think that Azerbaijan is not useful to Israel at the current stage. Moreover, the long-term strategic culture for which the Israeli state is known implies that support of this scale, including technology transfer, training and building trust levels, is built with the expectation of long-term impact, not a one-time deal. Azerbaijan has become a strategic base for Israel in the region.

In this sense, the support provided during the 44-day war can be considered as an investment, the “interest rate” of which is not necessarily claimed by Israel today. Israel may have much more long-term and far-reaching plans, and the time will come when Baku will be asked to “return” that debt.

– Azerbaijan attaches special importance to the strengthening of the air defense system without “economies”. This is expressed not only by the acquisition of weapons, but also by the addition of anti-aircraft units, recently 20 new facilities were put into operation, where the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan conducted inspections, instructed to ensure uninterrupted protection of the country’s airspace, to study in depth the rules of effective use of new weapons in combat conditions. Moreover, Turkey has transferred to Azerbaijan the modern air operations management system developed for its army, i.e., a joint Azerbaijan-Turkey airspace control and operations management system has been formed, what are they wary of?

– Azerbaijan places special emphasis on strengthening the air defense system, while expanding cooperation with Turkey in the direction of airspace control and joint management of air operations. Back in 2023, the leadership of the Turkish military industry announced the creation of a joint air command management system called “HAKİM” by Ankara and Baku, in the event of its full implementation, the jointly controlled airspace will stretch from the Aegean Sea to the Caspian Sea basins. This means that the air forces of the two countries will be able to carry out operations on the basis of a coordinated, unified picture, which significantly changes the qualitative picture of the ratio of regional forces.

I think that Azerbaijan is seriously studying the experience of both Russian-Ukrainian and Iranian-Israeli conflicts and the requirements of the current military reality. Both conflicts have shown how crucial a role modern air defense systems play in defending against both ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as mass attacks by tactical and strategic UAVs.

However, at the same time, Azerbaijan is trying to solve another problem: to increase its offensive potential, because Baku is well aware that in modern wars it is not possible to ensure serious success only with defensive capabilities. Special emphasis is placed on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and military aviation capabilities.

Concrete steps have already been taken in this direction, including the operation of JF-17C (Block III) fighter jets purchased from Pakistan, their possible integration with Turkish air-to-air missiles, as well as regular participation in joint tactical flight exercises with Turkey, such as the “Anatolian Eagle” exercise held in Konya in June 2026.

Defense and national security spending in Azerbaijan currently accounts for about one-fifth of the budget, and this trend has been continuous since 2020, especially amid increasing oil and gas revenues. In parallel, the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Pakistan strategic trilateral axis, which was formed during the 44-day war in 2020 and was further strengthened by bilateral and trilateral agreements, is also expanding.

It is in the background of this complex picture that the warnings that the security balance in the region may continue to change become relevant, and it is necessary to follow these developments not only by the quantitative indicators of military equipment, but also by the degree of qualitative integration.

– In the context of regional security and geopolitical developments, we should note that In November, CSTO members will discuss the issue of depriving Armenia of the right to vote in the organization’s bodies due to non-payment of membership fees. Of course, this issue requires a de jure consensus, on the other hand, Russia’s role here is big. Now What risks does leaving the CSTO entail for RA, including in the context of RA-Russia bilateral military relations, after all, they exist at least in the field of military equipment maintenance, and not only?

– I think that the issue of Armenia’s possible exit from the CSTO, and the debate on this topic, often takes place in an emotional, rather than a cold, calculation. In reality, however, the problem has very specific, measurable consequences, starting from the maintenance of military equipment, to the emergence of a security and military-political vacuum.

The first and, perhaps, the most topical problem here is the military-technical aspect. A significant part of Armenia’s weaponry is still of Soviet and Russian origin, and the operation, provision of spare parts, modernization and maintenance of this equipment over the decades have been built on the very Russian production and technical infrastructure.

Mechanisms operating within the framework of the CSTO, in particular the contracts for the preferential purchase and maintenance of military equipment, facilitate this process. A complete exit from the organization would not automatically eliminate Armenia’s dependence on Russian technology, but it could complicate the legal and practical framework by which that dependence is managed.

In other words, the final termination of our membership in the CSTO will multiply the existing technical and logistical problems, making them much more complicated and practically unsolvable.

And, most of all, if Armenia does not have an alternative military-political structure or a clear system of guarantees “in sight” along with the final withdrawal from the CSTO, it will not give the country anything tangible positive, it will not increase Armenia’s military capabilities, but on the contrary, it can create a security vacuum.

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While Nikol Pashinyan went to Kyrgyzstan to discuss the current restrictions on Armenian products and the issue of the ultimatum raised in the EAEU at the meetings of the EAEU intergovernmental council in Cholpon-Ata, Moscow continues to address the foreign policy of the RA authorities with harsh words.

The deputy director of the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexey Fadeev, gave a briefing today, during which he spoke about the foreign policy and diversification agenda of the Republic of Armenia in rather harsh words. He expressed doubts that the leadership of Armenia is ready for allied interaction with Russia.

According to him, the Armenian authorities use the word “diversification” to cover up the rapprochement with the European Union, which has adopted an openly hostile attitude towards Russia.

“There is no need to change concepts, because if under the beautiful word “diversification” you hide the turn from Eurasian integration and a traditional ally to the European Union, which has adopted an openly hostile attitude towards Russia, and is seriously discussing the possibility of a direct conflict with Russia, then here, in fact, the conclusion is obvious,” said Fadeev during the briefing, commenting on the latest statements of the Armenian leadership.

He called it an open deception not only towards EAEU partners, but also towards the population of Armenia itself.

According to Fadeev, the socio-economic consequences of such a “jump” to Europe are hidden from Armenian citizens, and current difficulties related to exports are presented as some kind of sanctions by Moscow.

“These are not our sanctions, but the reality that awaits RA in case of severing traditional ties,” Fadeev noted, adding that the declarations signed by Yerevan with the West are not legally binding, unlike Armenian-Russian treaties and agreements.

He also said that neither Brussels, nor London, nor Paris will seriously invest in Armenia’s economy.

Despite Yerevan’s traditional ties with Moscow, he said, Armenia is now pursuing pro-Russian figures, threats of arbitration proceedings against Russian companies operating in Armenia and flirtation with the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev. “And if Yerevan is trying to make sure that their interests are taken into account, then why shouldn’t Moscow demand something similar from its Armenian partners?” And, of course, we expect a more realistic and balanced approach,” said Fadeev.

Ahead of the meeting of the prime ministers of the member states of the Eurasian Union in Kyrgyzstan, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk announced that the trade turnover of Russia and Armenia will decrease by two thirds in 2026. “In 2024, the trade turnover between Russia and Armenia reached a record value of 12 billion dollars.

Last year it decreased to 8 billion. This year, however, there is a dramatic decline in trade turnover. It is two-thirds of the 2025 figure,” said the Russian official, predicting that the decline will continue.

“The situation that has now arisen between EAEU and Armenia was predictable. In the last two years, we have been warning our Armenian partners that such risks, including the risks of a decline in trade turnover, exist,” Overchuk noted.

While in Cholpon-Ata, Nikol Pashinyan is trying to find ways out of the created economic impasse and smooth out the obstacles to the export of Armenian goods without changing the foreign policy agenda, Moscow continues to toughen the rhetoric, openly showing that economic restrictions and political pressures are being implemented in parallel. These systematic statements of high-ranking Russian officials once again show that Moscow demands from Yerevan to sharply and unequivocally clarify its foreign policy priorities, excluding the possibility of a double game.

Under these conditions, the Armenian authorities are facing a serious strategic dilemma. either try to maintain the minimum conditions of trade and economic survival in the EAEU format, sacrificing certain paces of their Western vector, or go for a sharp rupture, assuming the risk of deep economic shocks and unprecedented pressures.

Therefore, the results of the Cholpon-Ata meeting are not only a solution to technical issues, but will also show to what extent it is possible to at least temporarily contain the growing crisis. However, during his latest briefings, Nikol Pashinyan stated that he does not accept the choice proposed by Moscow and declares that he does not accept the component of exclusivity in relations.

Under these circumstances, taking into account Russia’s policy, the political traditions accepted in the EAEU, what result Pashinyan will achieve is highly doubtful.

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168TV’s “Zara Has a Question” questions were asked within this airing of the program Head/Director of the Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia Mohammad Asadi Movahedi.

During the program, we present several theses of the Iranian official, which were reproduced with the translation of translator-Iranologist Alen Hayrapetyantsi.

• The Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has one main mission, and that is to create large-scale ties between the two peoples, the two countries in the field of culture, science, art and education. It can be said that the cultural center is, from this point of view, a bridge connecting the two countries.

• The Cultural Center of Iran creates and forms its cultural relations with two groups of institutions: the first is state institutions, state universities, cultural and scientific centers, etc. Regarding these relations, it can be said that they are at the highest level and are under the constant support of both the Government of Armenia and the Government of Iran.

• Apart from cooperation with state institutions, we also have close relations with various private organizations. In this regard, I should mention that there is no ban on cooperation with both private and state institutions. I have been carrying out my mission in Armenia for 3 years, and it should be noted that Iranians are necessarily present at every important cultural event. It can also be claimed that in Iran, as well, in all important cultural and scientific events, a representative from Armenia also participates.
• As two neighboring nations and a nation that has passed a long path of historical coexistence, of course, cultural and all-round relations between us are at a very high level. The neighborhood and friendship between Iran and Armenia is different from other countries because, unlike other countries, we have crossed a long way with each other and have many cultural commonalities, as well as historical memory.

And despite this, I must note that certain small obstacles exist, and the level of relations that exists now is perhaps not enough, and there is still a lot of work to be done in this regard.

Mutual recognition is the most important thing. We believe that mutual visits are important in this regard. As you know, many tourists from Iran visit Armenia every year, but it will not work to say that there are many visitors from Armenia, many tourists go to Iran. And this is perhaps one of the small gaps that I would like to see corrected in the future.

The second is “enlightenment”. we attach great importance to the presentation of the correct image about Iran to the public of Armenia, and perhaps you, as a news agency, carry out a very important mission and a very important role in this regard.

We are deeply convinced that every religion performs a constructive function for society and is one of the main guarantees of human happiness, love, friendship, regardless of the circumstances, whether it is Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. We have very close relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church and have implemented many common cultural and religious events. There were many meetings between Iranian religious figures and clerics, as well as Etchmiadzin.

The blue mosque of Yerevan is the most important symbol of historical ties between Iran and Armenia, and Iranian architecture, elements of Armenian architecture, are the best believers of that common historical memory.

The Blue Mosque of Yerevan has turned into one of the most important tourist centers and destinations. According to the statistics we obtained, the Blue Mosque is visited by 500-600 tourists a day, from all the different countries and continents of the world. We have spared no effort to preserve this historical structure in good condition.

The Blue Mosque of Yerevan is not just a mosque, but has also turned into a center where cultural, artistic and religious activities are carried out. The statements (about the Blue Mosque: – Z.D.) made by the Republic of Azerbaijan, if you tell a tree, even the tree will laugh at those words.

Nizami Gyanjevi has been declared a Turkish poet, when not even a couplet in Turkish exists.

On his tomb there is only a poem in Persian. And as soon as they understood, they changed that tombstone and put a Turkish tombstone in its place. The cases of this historical memory, abduction are quite characteristic of them, but the whole world knows what the reality is.

• I would like to emphasize that the Syunik region is of great importance for the Islamic Republic of Iran, both economically and culturally. Especially, if we take into account the fact that all economic activities between Iran and Armenia were carried out through Syunik region.

In Syunik Marz, the Armenian and Iranian people should join hands in order to properly preserve the common culture containing traditional and humanitarian ideas, so that the dissolution of culture and the replacement of traditional culture with Western values ​​do not happen.

• Culture recognizes borders. that is, there can be two countries that are politically hostile to each other, but still have cultural ties between them, and a similar example can be seen in the USA and Iran itself; Although there is a political conflict between the USA and Iran, Iranian universities, cultural, scientific and cultural centers and the corresponding centers of the USA always maintain relations.

Details in the video

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In the “Pressing” program Satik Seyranyan the guest is the chairman of the “Democratic Alternative” party, political scientist Suren Surenyants.

The main theses of the interview are below.

• Why did I say that Nikol Pashinyan will bite the paws of the Russian tsar? There are several scenarios of the development of events today. One scenario is that Armenia ultimately wants to get out of the Russian security umbrella. This could have catastrophic consequences, given the fact that we have no alternative security guarantees, and no one intends to protect Armenia. The other scenario is that as a result of Pashinyan’s adventure, regardless of what losses we will have, Armenia’s dependence on Russia will increase. Will they tolerate Pashinyan after that or not? It is not very important. The essential thing is that this one scenario leads us to become a Turkish-Azerbaijani annex, and the second scenario will lead to the increase of Armenia’s dependence on Russia. That’s what I meant when I said it would grow the paws of the Russian Tsar.

• You see, on the one hand, Pashinyan is making excuses against Russia, saying that Armenia has an alternative, on the other hand, he is calling Putin, asking him to ease export restrictions. It’s a strange situation, isn’t it?․ if you an alternative do you have, what me please Putin. You say so? getting rid of we are russian from the yoke we increase sovereignty and: etc, and: etc. If: the alternative you don’t have, what me going that of adventure and: Armenian:–russian relationshipare leading to current turbulence. There is a crisis in Armenian-Russian relations, what compensation programs are offered by the West and the European Union? In other western centers, the importance of compensation programs is zero. They are ready to pay Pashinyan so much that his anti-Russian striptease will not stop.

• In the EAEU, political decisions are made at the highest level, the presidents of the EAEU member states. It is hard to imagine that Lukashenko’s prime minister or Putin’s prime minister will have to make a strategic decision. But Pashinyan, if you noticed, even agrees to lowering the bar. for example, he also went to Yekaterinburg because Putin refused to meet him. He should have at least met with Mishustin, hoping that he could convince Mishustin to solve some problems. The meeting with Mishustin was a complete failure. Putin has already repeated 2 or 3 times very clearly that either a referendum is held and the issue of this dilemma is resolved, or Armenia, in fact, may be left out of the Eurasian integration structures, with the resulting consequences.

• According to economic calculations, 250,000 citizens will become significantly poorer due to Nikol Pashinyan’s adventurous steps, attacks against Russia and restrictions by Russia. This adventure of Nikol Pashinyan will cost our country 4-5 billion dollars. Who will compensate? If he has a way out of the situation, let him describe it, so we can understand it, or not by empty talk. 2018-2020․–in Nicole: Pashinyan arrogant posture Azerbaijan with in relationships set was this the same conflicting the model. Don’t pcs email threatens was, says էր՝ eif Aliyev continues like this, I will publish something shocking, and Azerbaijan will explode from within… now he is fulfilling all of Aliyev’s demands.

• Let me tell you how Russia will suffer. Or who takes more damage?․ բնականաբար՝ Armenia. Now as much as you want՝ Swing a sword against Putin… Russia is raising the stakes. It is understandable, because in asymmetric relations, the stronger side always tries to raise the stakes, under which it can get out.

• No recognized analyst in the world can make a confident statement about what the new world order will be like, or how long this period of turbulence will continue due to the Iran conflict, the Russian-Ukrainian war and many other factors. Yes, the aggravation of Russian-Turkish relations is not excluded, but the American-Russian deal is also not excluded… Under these conditions, how reasonable is it to place all eggs in one basket and, in fact, to deprive Armenia of the existing security system and any possibility of maneuvering?

• Maybe Pashinyan has fallen under some Ukrainian and Western propaganda, according to which Russia is already losing, losing its positions and influence… First of all, Russia is not defeated in the Russian-Ukrainian conventional war. What is described in the Western mass media, which creates a propaganda background, is not true. Yes, they have a certain influence on the war front from the side of Ukraine, but they cannot affect the balance of the conventional war itself. This is one. Secondly, Nikol Pashinyan already made such a calculation in April 2022.

At that time, you remember, don’t you, that a Russian tactical or other retreat began from the outskirts of Kiev, near Kharkiv, etc. Here, Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters held a memorial service for Russia every Friday and… the policy of changing the strategic course of our country began at that very stage, because, according to their propaganda, “Russia was defeated, had gone…” and so on. A calculation was made․ Nicole: Pashinyan email 2022 on April 14, he boldly announced from the podium of the National Assembly that some colleagues suggested to him (obviously he meant, for example, the bureaucracy of the European Union and the countries of the European Union) to lower the bar regarding the status of Nagorno Karabakh, which would bring security guarantees for the people of Artsakh and help to avoid a new war.

That programmatic, so-called speech of his was the basis of the Prague quadrilateral declaration of October 6, 2022. What was that about?․ that russian the mediation to refuse and: Armenian:–azerbaijani regulation in the process new status:–quo to confirm about was. That what brought․ the people of Artsakh did they get it? safety guarantees. Of course not. From his deal in Prague to the complete destruction of Artsakh, it took only 1 year, it wasn’t even 1 year: blockade, then ethnic cleansing, etc.

So, first of all, the talk about the death of Russia is greatly exaggerated. Yes, Russia has also found itself in a rather difficult situation as a result of its strategic wrong decisions, which does not mean that the Russian Empire is being destroyed, Russia is leaving the South Caucasus, etc. Otherwise, for example, the leader of our rival state, Aliyev, would not bother to regulate his relations with Russia through continuous talks with Putin. Now they both declare that they don’t have any problems, right?

Secondly, can someone explain to me what benefit the weakening of Russia can bring to Armenia? I brought the result of negotiations on European platforms, specifically regarding Artsakh… Now the situation is the same․ Pashinyan says the same again: let’s lower the bar in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, agree to that Turkish-Azerbaijani supremacy, they will give us security guarantees, which will help us to cut the umbilical cord we have with Russia and thus live in a peaceful environment. Once we saw the value of the security guarantees they gave. 

• When the chief envoy of Armenia in the relations with Turkey is elected by Armenia as the president of the National Assembly, it is a clear message that the Turkish direction becomes the priority in Armenia’s foreign policy.

• Aliyev’s assistant Hajiyev revealed the details of his visit to Dilijan in the last 3 days in many extensive interviews with the Turkish press. And I am really sure that there was also a shadow meeting between Pashinyan and Hajiyev in Dilijan, because Hajiyev speaks more confidently about the upcoming actions of the Armenian government than the government itself. Hajiyev very confidently says that the stage is near when the process of constitutional changes will begin in Armenia. How does Hajiyev know all that? Minister of Justice Galyan says: from open sources, but from open sources, you and I, as RA citizens, are not familiar with the draft Constitution, nor do we know the road map by which that draft will become a text adopted by the National Assembly, will be put to a referendum, and we have no idea how it will happen. We can come to several conclusions․ or Nicole: PashinyanHe told Hajiyev: I will hold the referendum, I will make the changes you want: “it is not your problem, I will carry out this process the way we held the elections”, let’s say: “I will solve the issue of 5-6 mandates with blackmail, violence, repression”, or I will change the legislation in such a way that bypassing the National Assembly, I will do it in a referendum. 

• In Hajiyev’s interview, it is clear why they are in a hurry, they also have a limited window. as long as there is turbulence around Iran and it is a convenient opportunity, as Russia is stuck in the Ukrainian war, it is a convenient opportunity to extract concessions from Armenia.

• With TRIPP, in fact, the issue of anti-Iranian attitude is being resolved, or they are trying to create an institutional, intractable crisis in the relations with Iran. And Russia… the policy of weakening Russia’s presence here is already so obvious: it is the issue of the railways, it is the story that a trade war arose in the relations with Russia… as if there was no peace, right?

• The war in Ukraine constrains Russia not in relations with Armenia, but in relations with Azerbaijan. And Moscow understands very well that a change of power in Armenia at this moment will greatly affect Russian-Azerbaijani relations. To put it mildly, Azerbaijan will not be happy if Russia tries to change the government in Armenia. And Russia, immersed in the Ukrainian war, cannot afford the extravagance of ruining its relations with Azerbaijan in order to solve some problem in Armenia. This is obvious:

• In fact, it is Azerbaijan that weakens the Russian influence in the region. But Aliyev conducts politics so skillfully that he does it with the hands of Nikol Pashinyan. Nikol Pashinyan has neither that subjectivity nor that political weight category. Obviously, Aliyev takes advantage of all anti-Russian initiatives from 2022, but it was done through Nikol Pashinyan.

• Nikol Pashinyan, in fact, is facing 2 referendums. Any serious country that communicates with Armenia and has a question of vital importance will demand a referendum from Pashinyan. Aliyev set a precedent for this by demanding to change the constitution of Armenia, Russia is also applying it now. Be sure, any western country, if it has a vital issue with Armenia, will demand a referendum. 

• This speaks of the decline of subjectivity. In addition, Pashinyan’s speech is so lacking in credibility that all foreign partners want to deal with the Armenian people, our society. This is a form of institutionalization of external coercion. This is how they treat countries without subjectivity, and don’t think that Pashinyan will manage to digest it so easily.

• The fate of Armenia will not be determined by Nikol Pashinyan’s statements, but will be determined by the developments taking place around Iran and the developments taking place in the theater of the Russian-Ukrainian war. If these two conflicts go towards stabilization and settlement, not only the fate of Armenia, but also the political fate of Pashinyan will be decided as a result of them. That is why both he and Aliyev speed up the processes.

• In response to Putin’s proposed referendum demand, they say: don’t interfere in our internal affairs. In other words, can Aliyev interfere in Armenia’s internal affairs by demanding to change the RA Constitution, and Putin has no right? Moreover, Russia has a legitimate right to it, because, in the end, this referendum also affects its foreign policy, it concerns the only integration project in which Russia has a key role. Would you be satisfied with the rather literate decision of the Constitutional Court of 2024, which had very clearly justified with legal categories that the reference to the Declaration of Independence does not cause territorial ambitions towards other countries and neighbors. Nikol Pashinyan tried to avoid the compulsion to hold a referendum, didn’t he? In fact, the decision of the Supreme Court of RA had zero value for Azerbaijan. If Nikol Pashinyan thinks that he can play Russia, he is terribly mistaken… The Russians may not care whether he will hold a referendum or not, they are ultimately interested in the outcome of the policy, whether Armenia will continue this policy or not. 

• Can you explain to me how Iran can currently allow TRIPP under the parameters of the document signed on August 8 of last year, when, for example, under the Islamabad Interim Ceasefire Document, which was signed between the United States and Iran, Iran has documented pursuit of the weakening of US influence in its neighborhood? TRIPP will not be implemented. Moreover, the possible decision of the Constitutional Court or the National Assembly are not shields that can rid TRIPP of potential targeting of Iran. Starting from February 28, Iran has targeted all countries where American infrastructures exist. All the Gulf countries were targeted. Even drones appeared in Nakhichevan and the territory of Turkey. The only area that has remained completely unaffected by the consequences of the Iranian war is the Republic of Armenia. The first is where you don’t have an American or Israeli presence in your territory, as is the case with Azerbaijan, for example, and the second is where the Russian 102nd military base is located. 

• TRIPP cannot become a reality with the parameters that were signed. TRIPP can only work in an edited state. the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation should also be taken into account in that project. 

• The Secretary of the Security Council of Russia visited Iran and later hosted Larijani, his colleague, in Russia. They reaffirmed at a high level that the border established by the Treaty of Turkmencha of 1828 is unchangeable, and this is a very important circumstance. In other words, Russia and Iran have a harmonized and very uncompromising position on this issue. 

• If you become a satellite of the interests of the United States, the territory through which that TRIPP will pass will become a legitimate target for Iran.

• As you know, I was fundamentally against giving up the mandates of the opposition, because my expectations from this parliamentary opposition, no matter how much I criticize some of their actions, have not changed. However, at the moment, they are the most important forces from the opposition field, they are represented in the parliament and have a very important mission: to protect the political and cultural identity of the Republic of Armenia.

• And, in order to generate a movement outside the walls of the parliament or on the street, the main mission of the opposition in the parliament is to organize resistance.

• Strong parliamentary resistance can become a trigger for a popular movement when they try to force us to change the Constitution.

• There is a second scenario, for which the opposition should also be ready. let’s not rule out that in a year Nikol Pashinyan will try to go for new elections. 

• This is not the first parliament, nor the last, and if the parliamentary opposition is not at the height of efficiency, a window for the formation of a more radical opposition will open very quickly, be sure. Do you know why? Because the country is facing an ontological problem, can’t we sit and wait, for example, until a young person (I am not personalizing this or that faction) finds time to stand up for himself? There are specific problems. If in standard situations it takes 2-3 years for any opposition to manifest itself to submit a bid for the future, today 4-5 months will be given. 

• Today, one month has passed since the decision to arrest Gagik Tsarukyan. During this period, we are entering the 4th stage of the three-phase repressive actions against him. Unprecedented bespredel… Yes, the word “unprecedented” is appropriate. In the electoral history of Armenia, there has never been such an unprecedented fraud, when they simply steal the votes, as they say, by making a dry, undisclosed decision that this party should not have a faction in the National Assembly…

• The repressions against Tsarukyan have two clear goals: one is the political isolation of him and his large team, and the second is the suppression. They work very intensively in both directions. They are especially zealous in their drinking. And now the arrest or hunting of the directors of his companies has begun. Pashinyan has set the task of taking as many hostages as possible in order to increase the pressure on Tsarukyan. Obviously, we are dealing with political retaliation. The problem is political, not legal. And, therefore, the problem should be resolved politically. 

• It is necessary to consistently wear down the teeth of Nikol Pashinyan’s repressive machine. The shaft of that repressive machine will be crushed. 

• When did the restraining order of Samvel Karapetyan start to change? At the time when Karapetyan’s supporters managed to create some system, and that system became a headache for the government. This is the only way to deal with this. 

• Pashinyan’s power is maintained with the external support of Azerbaijan, Turkey, the United States, the European Union, Israel, and through the bureaucracy and law enforcement agencies, which have been turned into a repressive machine, exclusively, and the state budget and taxpayers’ funds are spent. 

• Do not think that only Russia has put Armenia in front of a dilemma, Russia is simply doing it in its own way. By the way, Russia is very gentle with its strategic ally in its sphere of influence. For example, could it not have occurred to someone sitting in the Kremlin to carry out an operation against Maduro?

• Clowns like Alen Simonyan are enough for one mandate. He was too obvious a clown to have any high position in the 2nd quinquennium. … Hayk Konjoryan is very actively following the path of Allen Simonyan. Those people are Nikol Pashinyan’s hostages. He regularly corrupts them with compromising documents, gives them a certain status, and then they become useless because of that status. 

Details in the video

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