“Separatist Vardanyan’s departure - important victory for Azerbaijan”
Expert opinions on Caliber.Az

INTERVIEWS  25 February 2023 - 12:58

The Kremlin's "Vardanyan" project has failed. Russian businessman and oligarch Ruben Vardanyan has been dismissed from the post of "state minister" in the separatist area in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region. Baku disliked Vardanyan who arrived from Moscow and many people think that this was the main reason for Vardanyan's departure. Another reason is that the Armenian authorities feared that Vardanyan would later intend to become prime minister.

Vardanyan was “kicked out”, but there are some questions. Will Vardanyan leave Karabakh or try to influence the situation in Karabakh while playing another role there? Will negotiations on further coexistence between Baku and representatives of the ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh resume after Vardanyan’s departure?

Foreign experts answered Caliber.Az’s questions.

“Moscow’s businessman and oligarch Ruben Vardanyan is not a person capable of leading the Armenian community in Karabakh. Local Armenians, rather than oligarchs from the foreign Armenian diaspora, should deal with the coexistence issues in Karabakh,” Kazakh political analyst Kazbek Beisebaev said.

The expert noted that the oligarchs, as a rule, give the main priority to capital and profit and then to patriotism and national identity.

“Vardanyan’s “activity” was quickly completed. Everyone was displeased with him. Baku and the Armenians of Karabakh will still have to solve problems, including those related to the deposits. There is no need for people from the foreign Armenian diaspora,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Kyiv Centre for Middle Eastern Studies Sergei Danilov has said that the ousting of Vardanyan is an important victory for Baku.

“This is also the Armenian prime minister’s victory. Vardanyan was to achieve success and also work to increase the subjectivity of Karabakh by using his relations not only in Moscow but also in Europe and the US. After "resignation", without a formal status, his ability to mobilise international support for the implementation of his plans will be futile. Of course, this is an intermediate victory over Russian plans. Afterwards, there are chances to continue the dialogue about future peace. I consider this event as a chance to advance on other issues. Unfortunately, the chance is not 100 per cent,” Danilov said.

Caliber.Az