What else of Armenian besides Artsakh does Pashinyan consider Azerbaijani?

On the Internet, you can find the phrase of Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” But Nikol Pashinyan’s case clearly does not align with this Gandhian logic. On March 21, he gave another interview to the Public Television of Armenia, where he once again reiterated his views on the so-called peace agreement, the security system of Armenia and the role of the CSTO in this system.

By the evening of March 24, neither Baku had responded to Pashinyan’s latest statements nor had the CSTO responded to Pashinyan’s attack against the organization. Pashinyan noted that after Azerbaijan’s invasion in 2022, the institution of the guarantor, by which he means the CSTO, should not be taken seriously. Pashinyan’s attack, as well as the decision to include the draft law on Armenia’s accession to the European Union in the agenda of the National Assembly meetings, are especially noteworthy amidst speculation that “Nikol is about to turn back to Russia.” Pashinyan won’t turn back. He remains committed to the Turkish vector. While the West was previously the main driver of Russophobia, Turkey may now become it, which needs to prove its loyalty on a daily basis.

Baku’s lack of response once again gives reason to think that Azerbaijan, apparently, no longer feels the need to promptly address Pashinyan’s attacks or statements. Today, it is more interesting for them to understand what the configuration of the new government in Armenia will be and to build a negotiation balance accordingly.

In addition, Pashinyan stated that Armenia has not conceded anything and has become more independent in recent years: “We have not conceded anything. The same Karabakh issue… has the world recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan? Or Kirants-Voskepar…What have we conceded? We have not conceded anything. I think Armenia is more independent and sovereign now. We have not conceded anything. That is our thesis of the ‘real Armenia’.” If we look at the events of 2020 and 2023 through the lens of Pashinyan’s statement, it raises troubling question. The families of those who died, went missing, or were taken prisoner must grapple with the fact that their loved ones gave their lives for land that Pashinyan considers Azerbaijani. Could it be that these sacrifices were intended to instill fear among the population, enabling Pashinyan to make such statements today in pursuit of security guarantees from Turkey? Time and again, we have to state that Armenia is governed by the “war party”, whose mainstay of power is war. The fear of war, which is possible because they have brought the country to a dead end—morally and ideologically—leaving the security system on the brink of collapse.

If we continue to analyze reality through the lens of Pashinyan’s statements, it turns out that by signing an openly dangerous “peace agreement” with Baku, Pashinyan also expresses gratitude to Ilham Aliyev for “relieving us of something that was not ours and giving us a chance for independence.” Could it be that Goris, Vardenis, Sisian, Kapan, and Yerevan are also “not ours”? And by giving them to Azerbaijan, will Nikol declare that he has “merely returned to Aliyev what belonged to him”?!

Think about it…