We live in times when people simply cannot focus on any serious issue. The agenda shifts rapidly, and one “interesting” topic replaces another. In the Armenian reality, for instance, people may spend three days discussing mallow soup, four days arguing about a basketball net in a school gym, two days about muddy village roads… and yet never get to matters of principle.
Let me give an example of such a fundamental issue—one that directly concerns Armenia’s sovereignty. The Civil Contract party’s understanding of sovereignty is, to put it mildly, rather peculiar. They seem to think that sovereignty consists of occasionally making insinuations toward Russia. In reality, however, the core elements of sovereignty include clearly defined territory, the state’s exclusive authority over it, and well-established borders.
Which brings us to a simple question: what happened to border delimitation and demarcation? In early June 2024, when three border villages in Tavush Province and strategic heights were handed over to Azerbaijan, the Armenian authorities claimed that this was only the first stage, and that full-scale delimitation would follow along the entire border. As a result, they suggested, Azerbaijan would return the sovereign Armenian territories it had occupied in Gegharkunik and Syunik regions—something that, frankly, belongs more to the realm of fantasy.
Nearly two years have passed. What developments have there been on this issue?
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The authorities latch onto some topic, create noise around it, but since it is just another off-the-cuff statement, both they and the public quickly forget about it. Who now remembers, for example, the talk of “American modular nuclear power plants”? Yet just two and a half months ago, it was a top issue.
…Soon, Citizen’s Day will be marked, and for a few days social media will once again be filled with discussions about how people were chewing chalaghaj (Armenian grilled pork ribs) in the streets.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
