ArmInfo.By and large, the further course of the Armenian-Turkish normalization is predetermined by geopolitics, and more precisely, by serious, regional geopolitical players. Political strategist Vigen Hakobyan expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.
"In this sense, I would not focus on the content of certain statements of the Armenian authorities. One way or another, our authorities are not the main players in this process. Rather, they are in the role of being led by the main beneficiaries and interested parties of the Armenian-Turkish normalization. Negotiations are ongoing – that's the main thing. Often contradictory statements from Yerevan are also part of the technology of negotiation," he said.
According to the political strategist, the need to use such technologies arises, in particular, in periods of need to appease certain passions in society, as well as to distract some people's attention from some internal processes. According to Hakobyan, as a result of all this processes, the essence of what happened does not change. The Armenian-Turkish processes are proceeding along a pre-prepared geopolitical course.
Noting the scenario of the formalization of Armenian-Turkish relations as predetermined by the main external players, the political strategist, referring to a recent statement by representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, points to the fact that the process was initially supervised by Moscow. Against this background, Hakobyan sees the existence of an initially stipulated or accidental geopolitical consensus between the main centers of power. It is in this light that he notes the lack of counteraction to the Armenian-Turkish normalization by Russia, the US, the UK and EU countries.
The expert expressed the assumption that the only country that does not like the Armenian-Turkish normalization is Iran. "Tehran is well aware that relations with Turkey can be an alternative to relations with Iran for Armenia, and, accordingly, there is a possibility that the border with them may be closed if necessary. As Trump's national security adviser John Bolton suggested to Pashinyan in 2018," the political strategist summed up.