“Armenia should start establishing ties with Azerbaijan, Türkiye as soon as possible” Ukrainian MP’s interview with Caliber.Az

For decades, Russia has been the closest and very reliable military and economic ally of Armenia. Moscow considers Armenia its own backyard in the Caucasus. The Declaration on Allied Interaction between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation, envisaging deeper cooperation and building relationships solely on the principles of friendship and interests of the two countries, was signed in 2022. This means that Russia has promised not to act to please Yerevan and to the detriment of Baku.

Certain plans included in the Moscow Declaration are being gradually implemented, however, the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in one way or another affect both cooperation with the Russian Federation and the situation in the South Caucasus as a whole. While Russia is involved in this war, Moscow's previous key role in the normalisation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations has noticeably lost its significance. Moreover, the failures in Ukraine limited Russia’s ability to impact neighbouring countries, in particular, Armenia. Taking advantage of the tense situation, it began negotiating with the West and even invited European observers to Armenia.

In a conversation with Caliber.Az, former PACE Vice President, Head of the Committee on Foreign Policy and InterParliamentary Cooperation of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada’s (parliament) Oleksandr Merezhko said that he has no doubt that the decision is made on the Russian-Ukrainian front concerning not only Karabakh and other hot regions but of all international law.

“If Russia’s aggressive actions towards Ukraine go unpunished, then this will give a signal to other potential aggressors and occupiers that it is possible to attack and seize other country’s territory insidiously and vice versa - the victory of Ukraine and the punishment of the aggressor will strengthen international law and its observance,” Merezhko added.

He said that amid this situation, Armenia should establish relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye as soon as possible.

“Unfortunately, today Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and is an ally of the aggressor. However, Yerevan must understand that Russia is not a reliable ally, while the CSTO is not aimed at ensuring regional security. The Armenian government is interested in respecting international law, breaking relations with Russia and establishing friendly relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye. If Yerevan continues assisting Moscow to circumvent sanctions, then it will be necessary to introduce sanctions against Armenia itself again. I would not like this country to fully join the axis of evil, which includes Russia and Iran,” Merezhko noted.

He also added that Ukraine still hopes that Armenia will make the right decision and will support the Ukrainians like the entire civilised world rather than the aggressor.
“The majority of Azerbaijani citizens support Ukraine, while most of the Armenian citizens, unfortunately, support Russia. Perhaps, the mood in the Armenian society will begin to change in our favour, but this is not noticeable so far,” Merezhko added.