Semyon Bagdasarov: The reason for what is happening in Armenia is Pashinyan’s treacherous policy

Director of Russia’s Center for the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia, Semyon Bagdasarov, commented to Alpha News on the protests in Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s latest statements, as well as the situation in the Middle East.

“The reason for what is happening in Armenia is the treacherous policy of Pashinyan and his team. Pashinyan has pursued this policy for a long time, since 2018, and some part of the Armenian population, unfortunately, has accepted it. Outside Armenia, including in Russia, this policy was not treated with understanding, but they pretended that nothing was happening. Now it’s the home stretch.

Over the past month or two, this man [Pashinyan, ed.] has gone to all the greatest lengths. He questioned the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, and now he surrenders Tavush villages. He is trying to change the Constitution of Armenia, as the Turkish-Azerbaijani duo tells him—that is, countries that would like to destroy Armenian statehood. That is, this man went all-in.

I noticed that he went all in after a meeting with the chief of the British Foreign Intelligence Service, MI6, Richard Moore, who is a pro-Turkish politician. Richard Moore was the British Ambassador to Turkey and speaks excellent Turkish. When the head of state, who has a difficult relationship with Turkey, meets with the head of the British intelligence service, who conducts all his operations jointly with the Turkish intelligence service, the question arises: What is going on? In any other country, just one such meeting would raise the question of impeachment,” Bagdasarov noted.

“Of course, all this causes an appropriate reaction from the Armenian population, given the specificity of the current opposition, which cannot unite and lead the people. In these conditions, the Armenian Apostolic Church spoke out, which is natural because historically, the Armenian Apostolic Church has always been the core of the Armenian people and the Armenian identity. I believe that the church should continue to take the initiative, the church should lead the people,” Bagdasarov added.

Referring to Pashinyan’s statement that the legitimacy of the borders will be a salvation for Armenia, the expert warned that Azerbaijan will not stop at the villages in Tavush.

“After recognition of these borders, tomorrow the enemy will demand recognition of other borders, and this will continue until Armenia turns into ‘Western Azerbaijan’. After defeat, a normal person would analyze the situation and create a powerful army. But Pashinyan did nothing; with his intellect, it is pointless to talk about the army. He is a very cunning and corrupt person,” Bagdasarov said.

Commenting on rumors in the media about Pashinyan’s refusal to attend the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the political scientist noted that Russia would perceive this negatively.

“This is what our enemy, including Turkey, needs. But Russia should know that this is not the decision of the Armenian people, this is Pashinyan’s decision,” Bagdasarov noted.