“Ordinary people often ask such a question: what would poor Nikol do? I can say, first of all, let him not lie,” journalist Karpis Pashoyan said during “Aravot” “Confrontation” (“Areresum”) program. In 2021, the citizens were deceived by presenting provisions about de-occupation, Hadrut, and Shushi in the pre-election program; then, they talked about “concession for the sake of salvation” to lower the bar in the national assembly and ensure consolidation. Why doesn’t someone ask that question: where is that consolidation?”.
Let’s remember that in April 2022, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia announced from the podium of the National Assembly: “Today, the international community is telling us: lower your bar a little on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and you will ensure a great international consolidation around Armenia and Artsakh.”
Referring to the discussion about Artsakh in the UN Security Council on September 21, Karpis Pashoyan said: “It is an impression that politicians, experts, people in general treat it as Eurovision. The countries make a speech, they themselves respond: this was good, this was bad. It seems like a song contest. We have yet to grow up. We still love with our ears; we are charmed by lovely speeches. Not understanding that there are two architects of the regional status quo, Turkey and Russia, are the key factors in this region, and Iran also plays a lesser role. Iran’s role is also greatly overestimated, but a smaller piece of the “cake” belongs to it. However, we should be able to resolve our issues with Russia and Turkey, why not with Iran as well.”
During the conversation, the journalist mentioned Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s warning in 2010: “I do not exclude, but on the contrary, I consider it extremely natural and probable that considering the problems of Caspian oil exploitation and the construction of oil pipelines, soon, Russia will make serious efforts to establish normal relations with Azerbaijan, and in that case, Armenia will lose the advantage of being a strategic partner and Russia’s only ally in Transcaucasia.”
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We quoted another statement made by the first President of RA in 2021, in which Russian peacekeepers were seen as a guarantee to prevent ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. “If the Russians leave, not a single Armenian will remain in Karabakh. They will stay until the issue of Karabakh is secured. We will also contribute. Now, everything must be done so that the population of Karabakh does not leave Karabakh. And here, the interests of Armenia and Russia coincide 100% because if no Armenians in Karabakh, the Russians will leave.”
Karpis Pashoyan countered that what Ter-Petrosyan said referred to a different situation. “And now, in the case of Armenia, which is in the status of this crushed, destroyed, wet street dog, what do you want so that there is no ethnic cleansing?” People still wonder why Armenia did not join the war. Another war led by Nikol Pashinyan? Can you imagine what could happen? We already went to war once under the leadership of Nikol Pashinyan; what happened?”.
Later, the role of Russia in the region was again addressed. Karpis Pashoyan said: “We irrevocably lost Karabakh, already finally. And don’t let it seem to us now that everything is over, the tragedy happened, and we will wake up in a new Armenia. The movie is just starting. There is still the issue of the Zangezur Corridor and the issue of enclaves. But the fact is that this road remains the biggest wrinkle in Armenia-Russia relations, which can cause new disasters, new victims, and new destruction because Russia will never give up on it.”
The entire conversation with Karpis Pashoyan and Armen Baghdasaryan is in the video.
Anna ISRAYELYAN
