Pashinyan is trying to rewrite the history of Armenia’s relations with Turkey: Robert Kocharyan

Robert Kocharyan, second president of Armenia, leader of the “Armenia” bloc, and candidate for prime minister, said in an interview with the RBC television channel that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is trying to “rewrite history” regarding relations between the Republic of Armenia and Turkey in an effort to win favor with Ankara.

According to him, none of Armenia’s previous leaders made the recognition of the Armenian Genocide a condition for relations with Turkey. However, Pashinyan, in Kocharyan’s view, went further and began to revise the very approach to historical events.

“He is simply trying to rewrite history and is already doing so. In my perception, out of eagerness to please,” the president stated.

He also added that the current Armenian authorities understand the unrealistic nature of the country joining the European Union and are effectively betting on strengthening Turkey’s influence in the region in place of Russia.

“This is not about joining the European Union, it is about replacing, so to speak, Russia’s regional influence with Turkey’s regional influence,” Kocharyan said.

In his view, Pashinyan is seeking to build closer relations with Ankara against the backdrop of shifts in global geopolitics and the weakening of the previous model of international relations.