"West not ready for drastic steps against Baku" Hraparak reveals details of Pashinyan's closed-door meeting

On September 28, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a closed-door meeting with his fellow party members, MPs from the ruling "Civil Contract" party.

Today, the Hraparak newspaper published details of the closed-door meeting in the Armenian parliament, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the newspaper, Nikol Pashinyan first presented the members of his team with the situation in Armenia and the positions of external centres, noting that the country is experiencing difficult and explosive times. The newspaper writes that the Armenian premier disappointed those who pinned high hopes on the West and especially the US, expecting their support which would allow Armenia to finally withdraw from Russia's zone of influence, cease its membership in the CSTO, and become part of the Western world.

Pashinyan said that despite rather harsh statements against Azerbaijan, Western countries are not ready to take such steps against Baku.

According to Yerevan daily, the Armenian PM told his fellow party members that the hopes for sanctions were not justified, while the prospect of the US supplying weapons to Armenia was rather vague. According to Pashinyan, if the process succeeds, it will take a long time, and time is now working against Armenia.

"At the same time, it does not mean that we should once again selflessly throw ourselves into Russia's arms and submit to its arbitrary rule," Pashinyan said. He also stressed that even such a Russophile as former President Robert Kocharyan claims that Russia is not fulfilling its obligations towards Armenia.

Pashinyan later quoted Levon Ter-Petrosyan's words in connection with Russia's weakening position and added that it was necessary to conduct a multi-vector foreign policy and not to fear criticism of Russia and, if necessary, the West.

The paper notes that pro-Western party members questioned Pashinyan about whether the US demanded that Armenia leave the CSTO and whether this was Washington's precondition for Yerevan. Pashinyan replied that no such demand was made publicly. Maybe, there are hints, but they should not be taken seriously, because, despite the inaction of that structure, Armenia's withdrawal from CSTO may lead to very serious consequences.

Regarding the peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said that the sides' position has not changed. The West again demands the immediate signing of the treaty, abandoning Karabakh, and insists on unblocking communications in the region, while the "Zangazur corridor" will remain under Armenian control. According to the Armenian Prime Minister, Russia is trying to delay the signing of the treaty as much as possible, since thereby it will lose control over Karabakh. The Russian side insists that even if the treaty is signed, the issue of Karabakh's status should be determined at subsequent negotiations, which Azerbaijan categorically opposes.

The paper stresses that MPs in the ruling faction understood that Pashinyan was not against the option of giving up Karabakh, but that he set a condition to his Western partners: "I will sign the agreement only if Azerbaijani troops leave the sovereign territory of Armenia".

"Pashinyan said that the current situation and Azerbaijan's actions make the prospect of signing a peace treaty even more uncertain, as, despite tough statements by congressmen, the French president, and others, Azerbaijan is not only not withdrawing from Armenian territory, but is also proceeding with new provocations," the Yerevan daily wrote.