YEREVAN—Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mnatsakan Safaryan has shed light on the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations, specifically the contentious idea of handing control of the road linking Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhichevan through Armenia’s Syunik region to a private holding company.
Speaking with the press on September 4, Safaryan acknowledged that this proposal is being discussed. He did not specify the nationality of the representatives in this private entity. He stressed that these discussions are still at a preliminary stage, and Armenian border guards and customs officers will be on-site to preserve Armenia’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the Armenian government is pushing forward with the ratification of a border deal setting forth “regulations” for joint border demarcation commissions, which was signed on August 30, 2024. The draft law, which was published on Monday, is slated for review on September 5 and, pending government approval, will be sent to the Constitutional Court before being presented to the National Assembly. The draft will also be reviewed in Azerbaijan.
The regulation stipulates that the border demarcation commissions will operate based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration as the foundational principle for delineating the state border. Should future agreements on peace and interstate relations introduce different regulations, the commissions will align with the principles set forth in these new agreements.
Azerbaijani officials have offered mixed reactions. Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev suggested that this new regulation could be used as a basis for withdrawing the EU civilian mission from Armenia. He also noted some progress in bilateral negotiations with Armenia.
On the diplomatic front, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan participated on September 1 in the Globsec forum in Prague, where he discussed Armenia-EU relations. Kostanyan emphasized the importance of diversifying Armenia’s foreign policy to protect its sovereignty, borders and democratic values, while highlighting the potential for deeper cooperation with EU member states. He also praised the role of the EU observation mission in Armenia in contributing to regional stability.
Kostanyan revealed that Armenia has submitted the 10th package of a peace treaty to Azerbaijan, which he said reaffirms the country’s commitment to South Caucasus peace and introduces the “Crossroads of Peace” program. This program entails opening regional communication channels while adhering to principles of sovereignty and equality.
During a press conference on August 31, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also provided updates on the treaty negotiations, noting that 17 articles are under discussion, with 13 already agreed upon. He suggested signing the treaty based on these agreed articles while continuing to negotiate the remaining points, aiming to advance the process pragmatically.
Pashinyan also criticized recent remarks from Russian officials, which he claims have hindered efforts to establish regional communication channels. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had previously accused Yerevan of sabotaging the agreement to unblock communications through the Syunik region of Armenia.
Lavrov, in an interview with Baku’s First Channel on August 19, said, “We advocate for the swift conclusion of a peace agreement and the unblocking of communication channels. Regrettably, it is the Armenian leadership that is impeding the agreement signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It is challenging to understand the rationale behind this stance.” He emphasized the importance of adhering to trilateral agreements made by Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia from 2020 to 2022.
In response to the press conference, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry dismissed Pashinyan’s claims that Azerbaijan’s Constitution includes territorial claims against Armenia. It called these allegations “groundless” and reiterated their demand for Armenia to abandon its “territorial claims,” alluding to Armenia’s Constitution, which makes a reference to the unification of Armenia and Artsakh.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has voiced frustration with Armenia’s handling of the peace process, accusing the country of stalling the agreement while acquiring new weapons from Western sources. On August 30, he reiterated his demand for constitutional amendments in Armenia to remove references to Artsakh and for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, the primary international body tasked with mediating the Artsakh conflict.
During his press conference, held a few days before the 33rd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh (then Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), Pashinyan also said that the return of Armenians to Artsakh is unrealistic and inconsistent with the state interests of the Republic of Armenia. His comments came in response to questions about Armenia’s reluctance to address the issue of repatriating residents of Artsakh.
Addressing the right of return for the Armenian population of Artsakh, Pashinyan expressed skepticism about its feasibility, given the current proposals from some former officials and residents of the region. He reiterated his view that these proposals are unrealistic and emphasized that he cannot, in good faith, offer false assurances.
Despite international calls for the return of Armenians to Artsakh, including from various political leaders from different countries and human rights organizations, Pashinyan maintains that this is contrary to Armenia’s strategic interests. He previously indicated in March 2023 that international mechanisms should be established for the return of Armenians from areas such as Hadrut, Shushi and other regions of Artsakh.
Pashinyan said at the time that he had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate official negotiations with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees on this matter, in line with the November 9, 2020, trilateral ceasefire agreement. This statement outlines that internally displaced persons and refugees are to return to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas under U.N. supervision, a mechanism that has yet to be activated.
In a press briefing at Yerablur Pantheon on September 2, President of the Republic of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan addressed Pashinyan’s remarks regarding the return of Artsakh Armenians. Shahramanyan stated that he has not been informed about specific proposals or packages presented to the Armenian government, nor has there been any discussion or submission of proposals from his side. He asserted that the right to return cannot and does not conflict with Armenia’s state interests.
Shahramanyan refuted Pashinyan’s claim that Shahramanyan signed an agreement with Azerbaijan dissolving the Republic of Artsakh. He said that the decision to relocate Armenians from Artsakh was made to ensure the security of Armenia and maintain the integrity of its security system. He added that the agreement was signed to facilitate the safe transfer of civilians to Armenia.
Regarding the dissolution of Artsakh, Shahramanyan claimed that the document in question was unconstitutional and illegal. The population of Artsakh opposed integration with Azerbaijan and made a unanimous decision to leave the region, he argued. Shahramanyan said that he previously informed the Armenian prime minister in writing about this decision, including supporting documents. He concluded that further discussions on the validity of this document are irrelevant and do not reflect the current situation.
Hoory Minoyan
Latest posts by Hoory Minoyan (see all)
- The Region in Brief - December 11, 2024
- Azerbaijan continues to demand changes to Armenia’s Constitution - December 11, 2024
- The Region in Brief - December 4, 2024
I am from Sweden, a friend of the whole Armenian nation all over the world. It is appalling to read that the PM said that the return of Armenians to the ancient Armenian region of Artsakh is against the interests of Armenia.
One has to ask what is in the interest of Armneia? To have peace with two of its neighbours or to have the status-quo continue. I mean if no peace is achieved and somehow the global conjecture is in a state where another war is a possibility will you go and fight and die for Armenia if it is in war with Turkey or Azerbaijan? It is easy to write you are a friend from thousands of miles away but where were you when Armenia needed you during the last war. My country was on the side of Azerbaijan and we supported it all we could even sent special forces and mercenaries and had Turkish officers helping our brothers in Azerbaijan. But where were you or Sweden for that matter?
@Tijen,
What you wrote is a confession that your country Turkey, a terrorist genocidal state, criminally collaborated with our pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani enemy against us with no provocations whatsoever from Armenia towards Turkey. Not that we did not already know that Turkey’s hands are bloody, because we did, but that your statements alone makes you criminally responsible for war crimes committed during joint Azerbaijani-Turkish invasion of Armenian liberated territories. The last thing you should do is to attack someone a world away expressing his opinion and support for Armenia when you are right next door and had a direct military involvement on behalf of our military incompetent Azerbaijani enemy with your own NATO supplied weapons. What would Turkey do if, for example, Armenia and Iran not only armed the twenty million Kurds in South Eastern Turkey but actually participated in their attack against Turkey? Would you consider such help from Armenia as brotherly help to the Kurds for their liberation from the Turkish yoke or would you call Armenia a traitor state for helping your Kurdish enemy for a common cause?
I have no doubt that in one way or another Turkey will pay for its criminal act. Furthermore, pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijanis are not your brothers. They are an excuse for the terrorist Turkish government to retaliate against Armenia for all that Armenia and Armenian nation have accomplished after the 1915 Armenian Genocide and seizure of the 90% of the Armenian homeland, holding Turkey responsible for this crime among many other accomplishments that Turkish governments had considered anti Turkish. Turkish military help to Azerbaijan is also part of a bigger Turkish plan to reach Central Asia, the TRUE homeland of the Turkish tribes, to tap into untapped massive oil reserves in absence of the Soviet empire, to control energy-hungry European foreign policies in the region in favor of Turkey and as part of the century old, but miserably failed, dream of inventing the mythical land of Turan! You are not fooling anyone. If Azerbaijan was Turkey’s brother, it would have recognized occupied Northern Greek Cyprus as Turkish which it has not since 1974. If Azerbaijanis were your brothers, they would have joined Erdogan in condemning Israel in Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has razed Gaza to the ground and killed 40K Palestinaian civilians instead of keeping silent in return for the weapons they get from Israel. You two are not brothers. You two are brothers-in-crime against a common enemy!
Your articulate and brilliant reply expresses my sentiment so well, and that of many people, Armenian Diplomats should take a lesson from your candid, and brutally honest statement. Only thing in that Turk’s defense, is that he’s right that the world has been stone silent about Armenia’s plight, during the last 5 years. They can at least sanction Fascist Azerbaijan, but don’t even do that; on the other hand, that Turk had it coming, when you debunked his pride in the Turkic partnership of cranial genocide..
@Laurence, genocide is an empty word for us. It has no meaning or legitemacy.Regarding Armenia what mattered for us was liberating Karabakh. Genocide accusation do not matter. Especially after most of the EU and US recognition of it and how empty the results were. We get angry every 24th April but other then that it is not something that has any sway in our consciousness. And that is why I can see the possibility of normalization with Armenia if Pashinyan is genuine as the obstacle for not having diplomatic relations has been removed.
I am not attacking anyone. I just find it disingenuous to support someone when you do nothing when they are in need of help. Armenia is free to try to arm anyone or any group they see fit. That is their prerogative. Just like we have the right to arm, train and support who ever we want. And I do not know how kinship works in Armenia, but where I come from we do not expect anything in return for helping our cousins. I do not care of Azerbaijan’s relation with Israel as it is a good move on their part, because the Jewish Lobby helps them a deal in the US. Unlike Turkey who is in NATO and thus a US ally, Azerbaijan has no such leverage so to be allied with Israel is an understandable move on their part. It also gives them the protection of the Jewish Lobby. So I support Azerbaijan in this move. And regarding not recognizing the Turkish Republic of Cyprus (TRC), last year in the capitol of TRC an agreement was signed to further relations between the three countries on the basis of “three states, one nation.” Furthermore, TRC, was accepted to the Organization of Turkic states as the third observer member state after Hungary and Turkmenistan further making steps in ending its international isolation. This would not have been possible without Azerbaijan’s support.
That was such a cop-out. Helping someone is not the same as moving your military assets and personnel into Armenia’s backyard and to take the lead in invading Armenian territories on pathetic and militarily incompetent Azerbaijan’s behalf. That’s like today, for example, France and India do to Azerbaijan what Turkey did to Armenia. Azerbaijan tried on its own for thirty years and failed time and time again despite its petrodollar wealth and three times the population. In addition to all that, your Islamo-fascist president Erdogan recruited and hired thousands of Syrian ISIS paid-mercenaries and transplanted them in the conflict zone. Many were killed and some captured and gave confessions about Turkey’s hand in all of this. Erdogan used them against his Kurdish enemies in Northern Syria and once he was done with them there he brought them to Karabakh to fight someone else’s war knowing they would all be killed and they won’t be a headache for him now that they were no longer needed. Ask yourself, why would Sunni Muslim terrorist militia such as ISIS fight for Shia Muslim Azerbaijan when not so long ago they were butchering each other and the Sunni Muslim ISIS was beheading the Shia Muslims in Iraq and destroying their houses of worship? The two consider each other an apostate and they would never have fought for Shia Azerbaijan without Erdogan’s involvement in this. You can’t even decide if Azerbaijanis are your brothers or cousins. Well, they are neither. They are just another tool in Erdogan’s toolbox for his political agenda in the region. If what you say were true, Erdogan would not have made the remark and I quote “We can enter Gaza just like we entered Libya and Karabakh” taking credit for the invasion of Armenian territories and discrediting and humiliating Ilham Aliyev in front of the entire world. Azerbaijan is just a piece of Erdogan’s bigger agenda to reach Central Asia, his TRUE ancestral homeland, to exploit massive untapped oil reserves there for power and to become the new Sultan of the region and a major player in the regional politics by way bribery and blackmail.
Turkey is neither a real NATO member state nor is it a US ally. Turkey is nothing but a buffer zone between NATO and NATO’s arch-enemy Russia and a military base of operation for western adventures in the region. Turkey joined NATO in 1952 to save itself from the Soviet takeover. The price of admission was to send some troops to the Korean War. Turkey shares no values with NATO member states whatsoever and that’s why to this day and for decades of trying it has failed to join the EU for no reason other than to tap into their economic market. NATO members do not collaborate with NATO arch-enemies such as Russia and Iran. When EU sanctioned Russia for invasion of Ukraine, unlike many NATO member states, Turkey abstained and instead used the economic vacuum created as a result of this sanction to increase business with Russia and to act as a hub to transport EU-sanctioned Russian oil & gas to EU through Azerbaijani pipelines effectively financing Russia’s war machine in Ukraine. In return, Russia turned a blind-eye on Turkey’s criminal activities and move into the South Caucasus from where it was absent for over a century. Any such move from Turkey during Soviet Union would have have meant a declaration of war and the Soviet invasion of Turkey. NATO’s arch-enemy Russia sold out Armenia to fake NATO member Turkey, and Azerbaijan by association, at Armenia’s expense for all that the two did for Russia and their neutrality in Russia-Ukraine war. Turkish terrorist military is all over the place doing what they want with impunity. They are in Iraq, Syria, Libya and many other places without their consent. Would Turkey allow neighboring countries to breach Turkey’s border to chase undesirables hiding there? Of course not! Not so long ago, a Russian fighter jet was shot down for mistakenly crossing into Turkish airspace literally for a split second. Ever since Erdogan came into power he’s been nostalgic about his now-defunct Ottoman Empire and treats these sovereign states as if they are his and he can do whatever he wants without any consequences.
The Jewish Diaspora has deep roots in that part of the world. The ancient Armenian king Tigran The Great (95-55 BC) brought thousands of them over as a result of one of his military adventures and during whose reign Armenian borders extended to the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean seas. They are today an important fabric of their society and active members of the Azerbaijani government either directly or behind the scenes. Azerbaijani foreign policies, in particular in regards to Iran and Armenia, have been hijacked by them just like US foreign policies in the Middle East have been hijacked by their kin in the United States. There are over two dozen indigenous ethnic groups in Azerbaijan, among them the Talysh-Lezgis-Avars-Tats-Udis, etc, yet the only importance they give to their ethnic groups is to their non-native Jewish population. This is of course by design. It is a dirty game they play and they are quite experts in that. While all those native ethnic groups are oppressed and have very little or zero rights and their leaders are put behind bars in Azerbaijan, the Jews are praised and used as their ambassador ethnic group when they try to present themselves, falsely of course, as this multi-ethnic and multi-cultural heaven for oppressed people. All this nonsense while no one with an Armenian sounding last name is allowed in that terrorist cesspool regardless where they were born and raised. They advertise their Jewish population because they are the ones who have power in the world and they can accomplish things through them and their connections without whom they could not. In return, they give Israel oil & gas at dirt cheap prices and allow Israeli military to set up bases right next door to Iran in occupied Armenian territories to destabilize Iran, to conduct surgical attacks on their highly-sought Iranian targets, among them Iranian nuclear scientists, and to give them the capability for future attack on Iran to destroy their nuclear facilities like they did in Iraq decades ago.
The idea of “two or three states, one nation” is nonsense and like I said it is a euphemism for removing any and all obstacles in their path in attempts to achieve their fascist pan-Turkic dreams. But hey, they can dream and it does not cost anything to dream but at the end of the day it is just a dream!
I found your argument to be though-provoking, but I will have to disagree with some of it. Two states, one nation is the back-bone of Turkic unification. If it was up to me I would do it in steps, first between Turkey, Azerbaijan and TRC where a confederation is utilized where currency, defence and foreign policy is aligned and each state handles its own domestic affairs. After there is a union of the Oguz states then the rest of free Turkistan should be included if they want such a union. But it is a must for the 3 aforementioned Oguz states. As to you it might be a dream but as a spy once said the 1dreamers of the day are dangerous… That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.” So it should be the goal of every living Turkic people today to make that a reality. And all the Oguz states are brothers/cousins. It does not matter, because we are the same people.
I also disagree with you on the matter of Erdogan’s insult to Aliyev. Though I do not disagree that what he said was a slight towards the leader of Azerbaijan, however this is bigger then Erdogan. Erdogan political ideology though might seem nationalist to you. He is not a nationalist. Political Islam is anathema to Turkish nationalism. He is a very good politician and plays the game of politics as a grand-master and that is why he cosied up to the nationalist MHP, because without the religious nationalist votes that the MHP brings to the table, he will have a very hard time ruling the country. However, the policy of unification with Turkestan ( the 6 free states not ones under other countries like China, Russia or Afghanistan etc.) is in motion. From agreeing on a common alphabet to replace the current alphabets in the 7 Turkic states to the creation of the Türk Yatırım Fonu ( Turk Investment Fund ) steps are being taken to make the 7 states whole. No other thing will be this crucial or important for the future of the Turkic world then the union between these 7 states.
The last major disagreement is regarding Turkey’s role in the war. I have no ill will towards Armenia. There is no reason left for us to be enemies as all our problems that make peace insurmountable with Armenia are solved. At least between Turkey and Armenia. The biggest obstacle was the situation of Karabakh. Armenian genocide accusations against Turkey is your business. And as long as it does no harm to Turkey, I do not see why it should be a problem between the two countries. I have my view and version of history and you can have yours as it is not my business to tell you what to think. That being said, there is no way Turkey could have not sided with Azerbaijan in Karabakh. We see those lands as belonging to Azerbaijan. You can disagree, be angry but that is how we see it. And we never hid our intentions that we supported Azerbaijan. We closed the border and made it known to the Armenian government that it needed to leave Karabakh. Unfortunately, our warning were ignored so we just waited for the right opportunity to strike as the operation began right after a military exercise simulating war against Armenia between Turkey and Azerbaijan next to the border. You might see and believe Azerbaijan and Turkey are two separate states, but all we think about is to live long enough to see the two states become one. That can be in way of union, confederation etc. So for me and many like me Karabakh was not a problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was Turkey’s problem as well. Now that it is solved, I see no problem in developing neighbourly relations with Armenia. That does not mean we will have friendly relations or reconcile. As the great Armenian political scientist Mr Richard Giragosian has said normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey will not, for the foreseeable future, resolve all areas of disagreement between the countries. We can normalize today and leave the reconciliation for future, wiser generations. As I am from a generation where Armenians were seen as enemies so I will always be on guard, but that does not mean I do not want peace with Armenia.
Regarding the two other parts of your argument I do not disagree with what you wrote other then I agree with the current governments handling of the Ukraine situation. This is not our war and I see it as a good move not to get involved in it other then to make money. And regarding Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel I have nothing to add to it as it is not an area that concerns me at all.
@Ararat, well observed about Azerbaijan touting it’s Jewish community and vis a vis with Israel, the international Jew as the saying goes. Quite obviously Baku knows that the other non Turkic peoples of ancient residence have no use on the international area and are marginalised as a result although unlike the Armenian population seem to accept being part of Azerbaijan.
Whilst Armenia played it’s cards better in the first conflict an attritional one, it was still ONLY a ceasefire on favourable terms and parts of Soviet NK where under Azeri control and Armenia gained control of significant areas of Azerbaijan outside NK. In 2020 Azerbaijan had transformed it’s military considerably and with the backing of Turkey, Israel , Ukraine , Pakistan Syrian (Sunni!) jihadi and Russia conniving (hence betrayal of its alliance with Armenia) with Azerbaijan was able in short order to reverse the outcome of 1994 . Also worth noting that in the first conflict both nations used much the same equipment from the Soviet era and schooling in the years since Azerbaijan aligned with NATO Turkey and USA linked Israel and Armenia stayed in the post Soviet Russian model. Hence Armenia has good grounds to question it’s alliance with Russia accepting the tie in which limited support from NATO members only to find it’s hegemony disappear. Israel for example hegemony is assured by massive support from the USA, hence the strong support for USA in Israel for safeguarding their position ( the sustainability and ethics of this are another matter) many but not all! Armenians thought the same of Russia only to face a reality check , compounded by the difficulties Russia has faced in Ukraine compromising the reputation of Russian military Putin had so skillfully cultivated. As for pan Turanisim it’s a bit like pan Germanicism, slavicism, Arabism etc whilst will have some success will clearly never match expectations.
The 2020 conflict had interesting consequences beyond the South Caucasus it showed that force could effect what talks had not, the established hegemon and status quo could actually be quite fragile. This showed Russia and Ukraine who was wanting to reassert authority over the Donbass and Crimea that it could overwhelm the Donbass as Russia legally had been much like Armenia 1994 – 2020 , during 2021 violence increased considerably, Russia in turn either had to let it happen or intervene and incur western sanctions for invasion. Russia knew in such a prospect they needed Azerbaijan and Turkey to be ambivalent and thus Armenia was sacrificed in 2020 in anticipation of this . Unsurprisingly Armenians did notice this gross hypocrisy and betrayal and hence even those who dislike Pashinyan many have lost faith in Russia as a result.
WHEN and HOW DISASTROUSLY will this self-capitulating, self-humiliating ‘peace plan’ with this egregious enemy dictatorship of Azerbaijan end?
Alas you Armenian sheep living in Armenia who cannot produce ONE fearless true proud son of the Homeland to take out this pig called pashinyan and his equally coward and incompetent cohorts in today’s Yerevan government. It’s all evident to me WHY in the 18th, 19th and early 20th century the brave Armenians of Zeytoun and Sasoun and Van despised of the rest of the so called ‘Ottoman Armenians’ living in desperate fear of the bloody Turks throughout the cities, towns and villages of Anatolia, terrified to even raise a hand upon the rapist, terrorist and murderously oppressive Turkish & Kurdish mobs and police officers for fear of losing their possessions and their lives.
Today’s Hayastantsi Armenians are equally cowardly and disgustingly UNPATRIOTIC. I work with refugees who cross the border illegally into North America, and every week I see new Armenian youth fleeing and abandoning Armenia to come to North America and forget it all. Well, whatever tragic fate that awaits you all – you earned it and deserved it with your cowardice, apathy and resolute unpatriotic attitudes. I do not feel sorry for you one bit. You are destroying your homeland with your own hands and deeds.
You brought this incompetent bum called pashinyan to power, and kept him in power after the humiliating defeat of the 44-day Karabagh war. What other outcome did you expect, huh?
Stop whining and sniveling, nobody wants to hear your mousy squeals. If you are MEN, then rise up against your corrupt and moronic government leaders. Nothing else will save you. Not the United States, nor EU nor Russia are interested to offer salvation for our Armenian motherland.
@Laurence Kueffer,
Thank you. These people are either ignorant, brainwashed or deliberately very tricky and I know how to decipher the real meaning and intention behind what they say. They are very manipulative and whatever they say, even seemingly friendly on the surface, there is always a hidden meaning behind what they say and you have to be able to break it apart and extract the real meaning contained in what they say. I trust them for as far as I can throw them and I say this based on experience and not prejudice or any other ill intention.
To give you an example, without getting into details, many among them who have YouTube channels visit Armenia these days seemingly as tourists and get treated really well by local populations, enjoy their hospitality, and they present themselves as friendly neighbors and talk about how much the two cultures have in common and so on & so forth. Then they engage in some provocative conversation with some other unsuspecting people there and come back and present their experiences there to their Turkish and Azerbaijani audience, mostly ignorant and gullible, with provocative titles and claim solidarity with their pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani cousins, respond to their anti-Armenian racist comments with a thumbs up and brotherly sentiments , like this guy with his true confession, to get the volume of views they need for their earnings. They go in as tourists and come back as political analysts and manipulative scammers. Rest-assured, there is always a double meaning in what they say. It is some kind of sickness they can’t get rid of and if they are honest and even say one kind word about the Armenians they will be called traitors by their peers!