Is the Armenian PM considering the surrender of more land to Azerbaijan?

Armenia is yet again embroiled in scandal. Representatives of the government and the opposition accuse each other of spying in favor of the interests of Azerbaijan. But the main topic of discussion in society is the alleged willingness of the acting PM Nikol Pashinyan to sign a document on the surrender of several territories of Armenia to Azerbaijan.

It all started when Mikael Minasyan, the former ambassador to the Vatican and the son-in-law of the ex-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, partially declassified a document being prepared for signing. He did not say where he got the information from, but said that the acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to conduct demarcation and territorial concessions in return for the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the territory of Armenia.

In confirmation, he posted on social media part of the trilateral document, which is at the stage of approval.

Many in Armenia are skeptical about the words of the former president’s son-in-law and expected Pashinyan to refute his words.

But on the morning of the next day, during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, acting Prime Minister confirmed the existence of such a document on the negotiating table with Azerbaijan. Moreover, he stated that he was ready to sign this document “if Azerbaijan implements our agreements.”

The opposition and the expert community demand that the text of the document be published and not signed until the public becomes familiar with its content.

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What the son-in-law of the ex-president reported

Mikael Minasyan wrote on Facebook that the work on a new statement on the demarcation of the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been completed and will soon be published.

According to him, Nikol Pashinyan made promises to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev that even Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan is not aware of. And he represents Armenia in the trilateral commission on the implementation of the statements signed by the heads of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh and further actions of the parties.

In particular, as Minasyan says, a commission will be created that will establish rules for the final demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And it will be conducted on the basis of three principles:

• maps of the USSR,

• geographical expediency,

• real picture at the time of demarcation.

“The last principle will have extremely unfavorable consequences for Armenia, since it is obvious that Azerbaijan will decide in which case which of the principles to apply,” Mikael Minasyan said.

He also warns that the transfer of five villages of the Tavush region and one village of the Ararat region to Azerbaijan is being discussed:

“Pashinyan gave his consent to all this, asking that before the elections Azerbaijan withdraw its troops from the territory of Armenia, return several prisoners and that the clause on five villages in Tavush should be formulated as vaguely and incomprehensibly as possible so that he could hold out until the elections.”

What Pashinyan says

And about. The prime minister confirmed that there is indeed a document on the negotiating table with Azerbaijan. However, in his words, the preliminary agreements are 100% consistent with the interests of Armenia.

Pashinyan explained that he does not publish the text of the document, as negotiations continue and “it is incorrect to publish the working document.”

At the same time, the actions of the ex-president’s son-in-law, acting He considers the head of government to be playing along with Azerbaijani propaganda and disrespect for his own society:

“They show a document on the Internet, 90% of which is smeared. This is as evidence that Armenia is allegedly signing an anti-Armenian document. If so, then on the contrary, you need to show the lines so that everyone is convinced. This cannot be called anything other than agent activity in favor of Azerbaijan, ”he said.

Pashinyan stated that Azerbaijan has its agents of information warfare in Armenia, and these people proposed attacking Armenia back in 2020, and then indicated those sections of the border along which it was possible to enter the territory of Armenia:

“Now they are helping Azerbaijan to disrupt the diplomatic work that Yerevan is doing.”

Opposition reaction

Leader of the opposition bloc “Enlightened Armenia” Edmon Marukyan stated that another document has been prepared behind the backs of the people, the content of which is unknown to anyone – neither the deputies, nor the majority of members of the government.

Opposition MPs intend to convene an extraordinary session of parliament and find out the details of the document, which the acting president is ready to sign. premiere. According to Marukyan, according to the constitution, no agreement on the borders of Armenia can be implemented without ratification by the parliament.

The oppositionist doubts the statement that the document proceeds from the interests of Armenia:

“I don’t understand if the document is so good for Armenia, then why it is being hidden. Let them say, and the people will be delighted. The authorities are obliged to publish the draft document, explain how it is beneficial to Armenia, substantiate it point by point. And then the people will decide whether Armenia needs him or not ”.

The MP assumes that the authorities are trying to avoid discussion in parliament, since, possibly, after a detailed acquaintance with the document, it will not be ratified.

Ombudsman’s request

Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan made a demand to publish the text of the document being prepared for signing with Azerbaijan.

He demanded to publish, if not the entire document, then at least those fragments that would make it possible to get an idea of ​​it:

“The publication of the document proceeds from the interests, first of all, of the state. Thus, the state will prevent the leakage of extremely important information from non-state sources and will not allow the loss of confidence in the state authorities. “

Opinion

Political columnist Naira Hayrumyan wrote on her Facebook page:

“After it became known about Nikol Pashinyan’s intention to sign a document with Azerbaijan, the controversy in Armenia began to unfold around secondary issues: corridors, surrender of villages, resumption of hostilities. These options are specially replicated to divert attention from the main issue.

Nikol Pashinyan said a sacramental phrase during the government meeting: “We must compare the situation with the trilateral statement on November 9” [document on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh]. That is, the starting point is not the Constitution of Armenia, not the decisions of international structures, not the interests of Armenia, but the “trilateral statement” on which, apparently, his fate depends.

Armenia is a full-fledged subject of international law, the problems of which, including the borders, should be determined on a horizontal level – at the UN.

The trilateral statement is a Russian-Turkish “subcontracting” that has assumed the “vertical” function of deciding for Armenia.

This is what the trilateral statements mean: we cede the right to determine our fate, boundaries and role in international affairs to the Russian-Turkish tandem. That is why Russia and Turkey are doing everything so that the issue of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict does not reach the level of the OSCE and the UN. “

Russia is doing everything – through the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – so that all issues of Armenia are resolved through Moscow, and not through the UN and OSCE. And Yerevan obediently fulfills all orders ”.
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