Vartan Oskanian’s Post
In Strasbourg, Nikol Pashinyan once again sought to close the chapter on Nagorno-Karabakh, defiantly declaring that the issue of return is “closed,” “unrealistic,” and that those who raise it undermine the peace process. This is not only a self-serving stance but also a dangerous distortion of reality.
Just days ago, the U.S. administration officially affirmed that the right of return for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is central to any just settlement, alongside the release of Armenian political prisoners and the protection of cultural heritage. Washington’s statement recognized a simple truth: without return, there can be no durable peace. To dismiss this is to deny a reality now put in writing by the United States.
Pashinyan’s concern is twofold. First, having gone so deep and wide in his concessions, compromises, and promises to Azerbaijan, he finds it impossible to revisit the issue. Second, he fears that if the right of return enters the negotiations, it may delay the signing of the so-called “peace agreement” he hopes to showcase in upcoming elections. In other words, the errors, and political survival, of one man are being placed above the rights of an entire people. But genuine peace cannot be reduced to a campaign slogan, nor can it be built on ethnic cleansing.
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The international momentum is undeniable. The ICJ has already ordered Azerbaijan to allow the safe and unhindered return of the displaced. The European Parliament, France, Belgium, and Switzerland have all reaffirmed this same principle. Lawmakers and governments on both sides of the Atlantic are stating clearly: no peace can endure if it legitimizes the eradication of an indigenous population.
The issue is not closed. It lives in international law, in diplomatic resolutions, and in the conscience of all who care about justice. In a post-Pashinyan Armenia, I have no doubt that the right of return will be restored to the negotiating table with the full backing of international actors. Everyone understands that durable peace will only come the day Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are able to return to their homes in safety and dignity.
Vartan Oskanian,
Armenia’s former foreign minister