'No point in revisiting 2020 statement' - Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council
Armenia’s new national security strategy
“The November 9, 2020, statement [on ending military actions in Karabakh] no longer exists de facto,” Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan stated during a briefing.
Journalists asked whether Armenia’s authorities were considering returning to the agenda of the trilateral statement signed by Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan. This question was prompted by a statement from Armenia’s former ambassador-at-large, Edmon Marukyan, who claimed that “Azerbaijan is now planning a military attack, and the only way to stop it is the November 9 document.”
Grigoryan dismissed this argument, noting that “Armenia was part of the November 2020 statement and saw what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
He emphasized that Armenia witnessed how the other two parties failed to fulfill their commitments, particularly pointing to the blockade of the Lachin corridor, which Azerbaijan was supposed to keep open for free movement and communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Russian peacekeepers did nothing to prevent the blockade, ultimately failing to protect the Karabakh Armenians, who were forced to leave their homeland.
“The November 9 document contains more than one article. Besides Article 9 [on unblocking communications, which Azerbaijan and Russia are demanding Armenia implement], there were at least eight other articles. And we saw what happened to those eight articles. How can anyone, whether a politician or not, fail to understand what happened to them—and still say, ‘We need to return to one article of this document’? We can return. And we can go through the same process we did with the previous eight articles,” Grigoryan stressed.
However, he did not answer why Armenia has not withdrawn its signature from the statement, saying only that “this is a matter for separate discussion.”
During the briefing, Grigoryan also touched on the prime minister’s statement about constitutional amendments and the development of a new national security strategy.
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Former ambassador’s controversial statement
The leader of the “Enlightened Armenia” party, former Armenia Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan, stated that the authorities are discussing the provision of an extraterritorial road for Azerbaijan. Moreover, they are considering a scenario in which “they get nothing in return.”
This concerns the so-called “Zangezur corridor” to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave. Armenian authorities have been talking for several years about being ready at any moment to unblock communications. However, they categorically refuse to provide the “corridor,” since this term implies a loss of sovereign control over that territory.
“I officially declare that if Armenia does not want to provide Azerbaijan with a corridor, then the only way to do so is to return to the trilateral document from November 9,” Marukyan said.
He warned that if Armenian authorities do not revert to the provisions of the November 2020 document, the corridor will become a reality:
“And yes, if there is Nagorno-Karabakh, if those who left will live there, and safely return home, then I see no problems in implementing the 9th point of the statement. It is necessary to demand the return of Armenians to Karabakh to avoid the corridor. There is no other option.”
Marukyan’s idea is that Russia can resolve all the issues. However, he did not explicitly state what should compel Baku to agree to return to the November 9 statement and start implementing its provisions. When questioned by journalists, Edmon Marukyan responded with a question: “Is Russia not influential enough at the moment?”
Background: Key details of situation
The 2020 trilateral statement, signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan, has been frequently referenced in recent months by Baku and Moscow. However, for Armenia, the document lost its relevance after the September 2023 military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Following Azerbaijan’s offensive and the reopening of the Lachin Corridor, more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians—essentially the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh—left their homes.
The agreement also stipulated the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh, but Armenia repeatedly accused them of inaction during various incidents. As a result, Armenian experts now mention the 2020 statement only in the context of Russia and Azerbaijan failing to fulfill their obligations.
However, after the mass exodus of Armenians, Azerbaijan and Russia continue to reference the document, particularly regarding Article 9, which calls for the unblocking of regional communications. Baku demands unhindered access to its Nakhichevan exclave, while Moscow insists that Russia’s FSB border service should oversee transportation routes.
Armenia, on the other hand, argues that the trilateral agreement states that Yerevan itself should ensure security for transportation routes within its sovereign territory. The Armenian government clarifies that nowhere in the document does it require the physical presence of Russian border guards. Instead, monitoring could be conducted remotely, such as via surveillance cameras.
“Constitutional amendments are internal process”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently addressed the nation, presenting his vision of a “Real Armenia.” In his speech, he also spoke about the need to amend the country’s constitution, a move that aligns with one of Baku’s key demands.
Journalists asked Armenia’s Security Council Secretary, Armen Grigoryan, whether the prime minister’s statement meant that Yerevan was complying with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s request. Grigoryan responded that the Armenian government has been discussing constitutional changes for about five years:
“Amending the constitution in Armenia has always been an internal process. It cannot be linked to any external developments. It was an internal process, and it will remain an internal process in the future.”
When asked whether the reference to Armenia’s 1990 Declaration of Independence would be removed, he stated:
“I cannot confirm anything regarding constitutional changes. There is a working group. They will develop a draft, and society will vote on it. We will not determine the results of the referendum—society will decide.”
Armenia’s constitution includes a reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which, in its opening paragraph, cites a joint resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR and the National Council of Nagorno-Karabakh from 1 December 1989, declaring the “reunification” of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku views this as a territorial claim against Azerbaijan.
“We decided to develop new national security strategy”
The Armenian government has decided to establish a commission to revise the country’s national security strategy. The commission will include representatives from ministries and parliamentary committees, as well as the Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee, the Deputy Director of the National Security Service, the Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Head of the Security Council’s Office.
The commission will be chaired by Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan.
“Since the previous national security strategy was published in the summer of 2020, there have been significant changes in Armenia’s regional environment. Given the evolving dynamics, we had to wait for some time. After making certain clarifications, we have now decided to adopt a new national security strategy,” Grigoryan stated.
He noted that discussions are still in the early stages and did not specify which areas of the strategy would be revised. However, he assured that working meetings on the document’s content would begin soon and that the process would be transparent, keeping the public informed.
