YEREVAN. – Discussion behind closed doors is one thing, but when there is an actual press conference during which the two leaders are battling, it is quite another. In the first case, it is not clear what exactly is being discussed, but one can guess, and the press conference is like a rally. But this is not a rally in Yerevan, and one needs properly prepared for it. Political scientist Aleksandr Manasyan stated this during a meeting with journalists today.
According to him, during the Munich debate between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the statements of the Armenian side, represented by Pashinyan, were not very convincing. "The historical arguments put forward by Pashinyan about Tigranes the Great and the revolution in Armenia were weak," the analyst said, noting that even the announcer was somewhat skeptical.
As per Manasyan, if the head of the Armenian government decided to go this way, these arguments should have been presented wisely and more carefully so as not to cause a negative reaction.
Referring to the Khojaly tragedy, the analyst noted that the Armenian side has its position on this issue, and he reminded that the Popular Front of Azerbaijan, which carried out the massacre of the peaceful Azerbaijani population in Khojaly, is entirely responsible for what happened.
The political scientist reminded that in the legal sense, Karabakh's independence from Azerbaijan was established three times in the 20th century: in 1918, 1920, and 1991.
“Karabakh is in the negotiation process; it’s us who is pushing it out,” Manasyan said. "When representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group visit Karabakh, it actually means that they admit that it is a party to the conflict."
He added that Karabakh should not wait for Baku's demands, but must posit its own conditions. Moreover, according to Aleksandr Manasyan, Azerbaijan still has to apologize to Armenians for the massacre of the Armenian population in Azerbaijan and Karabakh. Otherwise, there can be no negotiations.