Lavrov does not believe in Pashinyan’s project

As the classic saying goes, “In reality, things are not as they actually are.” This phrase perfectly captures the essence of what is happening around the statement signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, US President Donald Trump, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in which Trump acts only as a witness.

In this context, we should also consider the comment made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said the day before that it would be necessary to see how the agreement between the two sides would actually work.

Apparently, a delegation from the United States is expected to visit Armenia soon in order to “coordinate many things.” “Armenia plans to hold negotiations with the American side in the near future on the implementation of the TRUMP Route for International Peace and Prosperity [TRIPP] project,” said Ani Badalyan, a spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It has been repeatedly stated that Pashinyan needed August 8 to legitimize his bid for power. With the National Assembly elections fast approaching, he required a document that would allow him to travel the country and rally support. This urgency explains the rushed signing of documents that have raised doubts both domestically and internationally.

Everything signed in Washington is a pre-signed document (from the “peace treaty” to the paper on the creation of the “Trump route”). The only exception is the request to the OSCE to dissolve the Minsk Group and its associated institutions. In other words, what was signed in Washington is not an intergovernmental treaty with a clear plan and implementation deadline, and it is not even a resolution or protocol. Speaking of protocols…

The media and propaganda buzz surrounding the August 8 document is very similar to the propaganda noise that was present in 2009 during the signing of the Zurich Protocols between Armenia and Turkey. These documents included the establishment of diplomatic relations, the opening of a common border, the creation of an intergovernmental commission to study the development of relations, and the formation of a subcommittee to study the “historical dimension” of Armenian-Turkish relations—namely, the Commission for the Study of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. In 2009, it was impossible to turn on a microwave without seeing an “expert” talking about the “benefits of establishing relations with Turkey.” And what happened?

In April 2010, Serzh Sargsyan suspended the process of ratifying the protocols in the Armenian parliament. In February 2015, he withdrew the documents from the National Assembly, and in March 2018, Armenia officially annulled the protocols, claiming that they were “useless.”

So even if we set aside questions about the realism of the “Trump route” project—or whether it infringes on Armenia’s sovereignty—the core issue remains: the citizens of Armenia are being sold air. A protocol, after all, is not a coordinated interstate business plan for implementing a particular project.

Think about it…