Armenian FM’s misleading statements undermine peace efforts with Azerbaijan Distraction or deliberate obstruction?

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, while on an official visit to Cyprus, made some puzzling comments during a press conference with Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos regarding the peace process with Azerbaijan.

Mirzoyan repeated misleading claims about Armenians who allegedly moved from the Karabakh region to Armenia under duress, stating, “We highly appreciate Cyprus’ help for Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.” This statement underscores Yerevan’s apparent reluctance to make meaningful progress in the peace negotiations.

Mirzoyan further attempted to present Armenia as a constructive participant in the peace talks.

“Dear attendees, I shared with my colleague the recent discussions, highlighting the importance of signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan that ensures mutual recognition of territorial integrity based on the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991,” Armenia’s top diplomat noted.

Essentially, Mirzoyan is implying that the Alma-Ata Declaration is important to Armenia. However, it should be noted that before the 2020 Patriotic war, Armenia not only occupied Azerbaijani territories but also ratified the Alma-Ata Declaration in 1991 with reservations that excluded its relevance to Azerbaijan. Additionally, Armenia's refusal to withdraw its forces from areas temporarily under Russian peacekeeping control after the 44-day war further demonstrates a lack of genuine intent to comply with the Alma-Ata Declaration.

Moreover, it is important to recall that Yerevan refused to withdraw its forces from Karabakh even after the Prague agreement in October 2022 and despite Pashinyan’s acknowledgment that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan. It was only after a decisive one-day anti-terrorism operation on September 19-20, 2023, that Armenian troops were forced to retreat from Azerbaijani territory.

Mirzoyan’s diplomatic rhetoric reached its zenith with his statement: “I also underscored the importance of continuing the demarcation process based on the same declaration, and thus the 1991 borders. I believe this stance is both clear and consistent. Moreover, our proposals for establishing mechanisms to monitor border incidents and armaments have advanced the process, although we have yet to receive responses to these proposals; they remain on the agenda.”

The current discourse appears to distract from genuine issues by focusing on imaginary and contrived details, replete with subtle insinuations. Armenia continually instigates border incidents, and by proposing mechanisms for monitoring these incidents, Yerevan seeks to shift the blame onto Azerbaijan, suggesting that it is Azerbaijan that is provoking tensions.

Moreover, the call for arms control is nonsensical. It is unprecedented for the defeated party to make such demands. Instead of appreciating that the Azerbaijani army did not advance into Yerevan as the Soviets or Allies might have, or impose harsh conditions as done with Germany, Armenian officials have the audacity to call for arms control as if it were a prolonged conflict between two equally powerful blocs, such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

Clearly, Baku should not anticipate any meaningful responses to these absurd proposals. Yerevan has once again shown its reluctance to advance the peace process and address the actual barriers to progress, the foremost of which is the preamble of the Armenian constitution that explicitly asserts territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, how can Armenia claim to be committed to the Alma-Ata Declaration while this contentious clause still exists in its constitution?

To wrap up, we quote a statement from the Western Azerbaijan Community: “Ararat Mirzoyan's assertion that Azerbaijan is not responding to the proposal to establish a mechanism for controlling border incidents and armaments is a disingenuous and completely meaningless attempt to present itself as a constructive party in the eyes of the international community. No one doubts how Armenia, which for 30 years ignored multilateral mechanisms in the field of conventional arms control in Europe, kept Azerbaijani territories under occupation and stationed its troops and weapons there, will "stick" to any other arms control mechanism”.

Armenia, drawn in by empty promises from Western backers, is gradually removing itself from the South Caucasus with a disturbing sense of self-destructiveness, like slowly driving a spear into its own foot. It should be cautioned that this reckless behavior could lead to severe consequences.