The people of Artsakh should not miss their opportunity

Armenia does not exist in a geopolitical vacuum, and unfolding events immediately influence domestic political processes. One of the manifestations of this was the obvious activation of the Artsakh people in Armenia. This is apparent not only in actions supporting Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku but also in various other initiatives. According to the Armenian media, for approximately two months now, the representative office of Artsakh in Armenia has been regularly holding meetings of the National Assembly. Parliamentarians and other representatives of Artsakh are actively engaging with international organizations, hoping to bring the issue of the Artsakh people’s return to the international agenda.

Such an activation can only be welcomed. If the people and leadership of Artsakh do not address their issues, there is a high probability that this agenda will be forgotten. At the same time, it is extremely important for the political leadership of Artsakh to grasp the essence of the geopolitical processes, to determine whose region the Transcaucasia region will be after the geopolitical transformations, and to engage intensively with this geopolitical center. Moreover, this center is ready.

It is obvious that the leadership of Artsakh could “bet” on the negotiation process between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. In this context, it is important to clearly define the priorities of engaging with the international community, Russia and the United States.

Alongside the issue of the Artsakh people’s return to their homeland—which, legally, cannot be equated with Baku’s demand for the resettlement of Azerbaijanis to Armenia, as former Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has repeatedly said—it is necessary to work towards reviving the OSCE Minsk Group, even in a reduced format with the participation of Russia and the United States. Moscow and Washington need “success stories” to rebuild their relations.

In addition to external efforts, it is equally important to be active in the domestic political field. Pressure must be applied to official Yerevan to prevent the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. The people of Artsakh, in general, ended up in the current situation precisely because of their inertia in Armenia’s internal political processes. This passivity and the status of an ordinary observer of the Artsakh elite allowed Nikol Pashinyan to surrender Artsakh.

The leadership of Artsakh cannot miss the opportunity again.

Think about it.…