This week on CivilNet’s Insights series, host Eric Hacopian discusses the high-profile arrests last week of officials in Armenia’s Economy Ministry on corruption charges and the escalating controversy over Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s proposals to overhaul the country’s constitution. In addition, Eric reviews yesterday’s presidential elections in Azerbaijan and what they mean for the region moving forward.
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Legal Battles and Peace Deals: What’s Next for Armenia?
International lawyer Karnig Kerkonian discusses Armenia’s approach to normalization and the withdrawal of its international court cases under pressure from Azerbaijan. He warns that sacrificing legal rights for a treaty is akin to Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler before World War II. Kerkonian provides insights into the diplomatic failures that led to this moment and the dangerous path ahead if this strategy continues.
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Is Azerbaijan signing a deal or stalling the process?
In this edition of the CivilNet podcast, commentator Eric Hacopian breaks down the latest text of the Armenia and Azerbaijan normalization treaty. With Baku delaying the signing of the agreement until Armenia changes its constitution – a process that could take years – Hacopian argues that Azerbaijan has no intention to sign as it continues to seek excuses for more war. Meanwhile, as key issues like the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, Armenian territory occupied by Azerbaijan, and international court cases are left unresolved, Eric asks what kind of peace can emerge when justice is denied.
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World leaders react to finalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization text
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian World leaders are responding positively to yesterday’s announcement that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the framework of a normalization treaty aimed at ending decades of conflict. In a press statement released today by the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio entitled “time for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he called the moment “an opportunity for both countries to turn the page on a decades old conflict in line with President Trump’s vision for a more peaceful world.” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss finalizing the […]
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Pashinyan’s Peace — A Masterclass in Capitulation
Op-ed by Vartan Oskanian, Armenia’s former foreign minister (1998-2008) In what can only be described as a tragicomic nadir of modern Armenian diplomacy, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has once again revealed the full extent of his political incompetence, strategic myopia, and astonishing readiness to capitulate—for no higher cause than the preservation of his own authority. His recent announcement, celebrating the conclusion of negotiations on a so-called “peace agreement” with Azerbaijan, should not be mistaken for a diplomatic achievement. It is, in fact, the clearest admission yet that Pashinyan has completely surrendered the Armenian national interest at the negotiating table. Let […]
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High hopes as Swiss debate on Karabakh right of return
By Nanor Froundjian Armenians gathered in front of the Swiss Embassy in Yerevan just days ahead of the Swiss parliament’s debate on the adoption of a resolution regarding the right of Armenians to safely return to Karabakh. The resolution will be debated on March 18 and the outcome will determine whether or not the Swiss government would be mandated to hold an international peace forum with representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss the right of Artsakh’s forcibly displaced population to return home safely. “I want you to know that your decision is extremely important to us and that it […]
