“The statements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Artsakh were well-balanced,” AIISA expert and expert on Iranian affairs Armen Vardanyan told Aravot Daily in response to a comment about how the death of General Qasem Soleimani caused different reactions in Armenia. Many analysts who mourned the death of the general, particularly ‘several military figures in Artsakh,’ wondered what the USA did for Armenia and Artsakh and what Iran did for Armenians. In particular, they state that the USA is the only country in the world besides Armenia that has specifically allocated money in its budget for Artsakh for many years. Nine US states have also recognized the independence of Artsakh. Last year, President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan visited the US Congress, and US Representatives Jackie Speier and Judy Chu visited Artsakh, which was a critical visit for Artsakh. It is not clear what Iran has done for Artsakh according to several analysts.
In response to the question of what Iran has done for Armenia and Artsakh and whether or not it is appropriate to discuss this issue on this platform, the Iranian affairs expert said, “Iran and the USA are Armenia’s allies. Therefore, it is important for the military leadership and state officials of Armenia and Artsakh to be neutral in their statements. They should not make statements that can seem supportive of any side. Luckily, neither the USA nor Iran is forcing Armenia to make a decision, nor are they pressuring Armenia to support either side.”
People on social media have criticized the Iranian affairs expert, accusing him of taking on an anti-American stance and supporting Iranian interests. “Are you an expert or do you support one of the sides? This is how some experts defended Russian interests in Armenia for years by turning into people serving Russian policies in Yerevan. But where are Armenia’s interests? Think about our own interests sometimes,” President of the National Press Club Narine Mkrtchyan wrote on Facebook. When asked how he would respond to this, Armen Vardanyan said, “This is one of the biggest issues for Armenian experts. It happens very often that experts only see what they want to, or their perspective has an impact on their analyses and connections with different countries. There are also experts who have been paid; their analyses are tied to who is paying them. This is why there are few experts who are unbiased in Armenia. However, it is also important to note that, even experts who work for world-famous analytical centers are not unbiased and their analyses frequently reflect the positions of some center or institution.”
Nelly Grigoryan
