The appointments of two key positions: the Foreign and Defence Ministers, although temporarily until the parliamentary elections, political analyst and Chairman of Globalization and Regional Cooperation, Stepan Grigoryan, considers it in the connotation of continuation of the logic of Armenia’s foreign policy.
He views the reappointment of Edward Nalbandian in the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia from two positions: a message addressed to Russia, and a message addressed to the domestic audience of Armenia. Regarding the first message, our interlocutor reminds that just recently, in August, by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian was awarded a medal for “his great contribution to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation with Russia.”
Regarding the message addressed to Armenia’s domestic audience, the political analyst considers Edward Nalbandian’s recent speech on Karabakh conflict at the UN Security Council. Edward Nalbandian, recall, had said that there could be no talk about the solution of the Karabakh conflict unless the agreements reached in Vienna are fulfilled. In Vienna, the parties agreed on the installation of monitoring mechanisms in the frontline and expansion of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.
“After the war in April, there were enough complaints associated with Armenia’s foreign policy. But now, Nalbandian says that he will talk after the fulfillment of the monitoring mechanisms and other agreements. This is the kind of message to our audience,” – said Stepan Grigoryan.
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The political analyst considers the appointment of Vigen Sargsyan in the position of a Defense Minister as a message addressed to the West, to the democratic world, “We are appointing a civilian in the position of a defense minister, preserving the civil control over the army.”
What will be the situation in the spring after the parliamentary elections when Armenia will fully pass to a new governance – a parliamentary system, will be known then?
Incidentally, our interlocutor is sure that there is still a danger of local war on Karabakh issue, especially, since Azerbaijan continues its bellicose rhetoric and maintains tensions on the borders. He recalls that at the UN General Assembly in September, even Azerbaijani Foreign Minister made an “absolute provocative” speech, saying that if the Armenian troops are not withdrawn from the front line, they will wage war.
Especially, as the political analyst thinks, Azerbaijan is again losing the urgency of the Karabakh issue. He recalls the recent statement by the US Secretary of State John Kerry that today there are no conditions for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict because the leaders aren’t ready. “The United States says that hurrying is meaningless. And Azerbaijan may not like it. Therefore, the recurrence of a local war is not excluded,” – said Stepan Grigoryan.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
