Author: Vanyan Gary

I don’t agree with this viewpoint because we haven’t discussed, we aren’t discussing and we won’t discuss any issue within the logic of corridor. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during his online press conference today, touching upon the viewpoint of opposition forces according to which Armenia, by going to negotiations with Turkey, has already accepted the preconditions of the Turkish side, one of which is the provision of the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’.

“It’s important for Armenia to create transit routes and build an agenda. If, in the relations with Turkey, it becomes clear that the potential communications may expand across the region, and this is one of the major issues on our agenda, that is, there will be opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and railway. We’re talking about the reopening of air communication, which we welcome, and we hope the reciprocal flights will resume. Our expectation is the normalization of relations, but we need to understand that we’re dealing with a very difficult issue, and people in Armenia are very emotional about this,” Pashinyan said.

When will the first meeting of the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey take place?

“I hope the meeting is designated as soon as possible. This will be a very long process. If we can achieve concrete results after four or five meetings, it will be better, but it would be exaggerated to expect that this will happen,” Pashinyan stated.

Is it possible for the Armenian side to renounce the demand for recognition of the Armenian Genocide after the negotiations?

Pashinyan touched upon this question raised by several media outlets and noted the following: “All governments of Armenia have said they are ready to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions, which means that recognition of the Armenian Genocide has never been a precondition for the normalization of relations with Turkey and the opening of borders. The government has clearly stated its approach to international recognition of the Armenian Genocide in its program.”

Does Ruben Rubinyan, who has been appointed Armenia’s special envoy for the upcoming Armenian-Turkish negotiations, have enough capabilities? Isn’t there a fear that the Armenian side will fail due to the envoy’s lack of experience?

In response, Pashinyan said it’s very important for the Armenian side’s envoy is a member of the ruling political team during the negotiations and added that Rubinyan’s education, political career and rather vast experience are sufficient.

Will there be a meeting with Erdogan?

According to the Prime Minister, there is no such idea or agreement.

“However, if Mr. Rubinyan’s negotiations with his Turkish counterpart proceed successfully and the process leads up to that point, there will obviously be meetings at a high level and at a higher level. If progress is made, of course, there will be a meeting,” Pashinyan declared.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will continue to yield to Azerbaijan. Anzhela Elibegova, a political scientist and Azerbaijani Studies specialist, told this to a press conference Tuesday.

She explained that there are no "red lines" after which Azerbaijan will be ready to stop if it is not hindered.

Elibegova noted that during his last press conference PM Pashinyan did not clearly answer the questions as to whether the Azerbaijanis will leave the territory of Armenia, and did not give a clear answer to the questions about the possible handing over of some territories in Tavush Province and of Tigranashen village in Ararat Province to Azerbaijan.

"We do not know what he [i.e., Pashinyan] is secretly negotiating and what else we can lose," the analyst emphasized.

According to her, the task of the Armenian side is to prevent and not allow the Azerbaijanis to advance.

"However, the inaction of the current Armenian authorities is beneficial to the Azerbaijanis, who say that if the corridor [to Nakhichevan] is not provided, it will be taken by force; that is, they are confident that they will get [it]. In such conditions, the Armenian soldier does not know whether or not there is a state behind him," Elibegova said.

She added that by showing that they are not going to hand over a single centimeter of Armenian land, the leaders of the communities of Syunik Province, who ensured the security of Syunik and the reliable rear of Karabakh during the 44-day war last fall, are now defendants.

"We see that as long as they are arrested, the Azerbaijanis are occupying the strategically important territories of Armenia. These people have proved that they can resist the Azerbaijanis. A question arises: Why were they arrested in that case? These guys hinder the implementation of broader agreements which were reached verbally—behind the scenes. We saw part of those agreements in the document adopted during the meeting of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in Sochi," the political scientist concluded.