“We will have peace if we can establish tolerant relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, form a field of certain agreements, and develop our relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Georgia. This is the peace formula,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on January 10. “Aravot” talked with Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan about the topic.
– Mr. Geghamyan, what is your professional assessment regarding the said statement?
– To establish relations with any party, the desire and goals of both parties are necessary. In the case of Armenia and Turkey and Armenia and Azerbaijan, we have the reality that since the declaration of independence, RA has acted according to the logic of peaceful coexistence. Unlike Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia has always favored peaceful relations. But the lack of desire on the other side did not make it possible. Therefore, one side was always ready for it, and the other was not. Did you see that the format of the solution to the Artsakh issue, which Azerbaijan and Turkey proposed, became a reality? Now we see ambitions for Syunik, Jermuk, and Yerevan. Therefore, the problem is the policy of conquest adopted by Turkey and Azerbaijan against RA, which has always existed. Because of this, the environment that would enable peaceful coexistence is not formed. RA has nothing to do here. RA did not close the border with Turkey.
– Nevertheless, Pashinyan also made the following claim. “I believe in the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey for one reason: before doing anything, you have to believe in it. If we don’t believe it, why are we negotiating? Are we pretending?”
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– The de facto prime minister does not know the reality and is unaware of it. And if he is aware, he repeats the propaganda of countries hostile to RA, nothing else. Therefore, his rhetoric, texts, and thoughts do not derive from the interests of RA, Artsakh, and the Armenian people.
– And, according to your assessment, to what extent is the claim of one of the CC deputies that Turkey has not threatened RA related to reality?
– A person with elementary knowledge can easily record dozens or hundreds of statements by the top military and political leadership of Turkey and Azerbaijan, which not only contain a threat but are a complete threat to Armenia, at least at the level of rhetoric in the last two years. Not to mention that after the capitulation of November 9, the sovereign territory of Armenia was conquered by Azerbaijan, which Turkey fully supports, not only at the level of rhetoric but also in military aid, intelligence, and other components.
Luiza SUKIASYAN
