Armenian leadership flatly lacks objective perception of reality Kazakh pundit criticises Yerevan's policy

Yerevan's deliberate stalling of the negotiation process appears to be no longer doubted by the moderators in Washington and Europe. They are, however, trying not to push the difficult situation, but are trying to steer the negotiations in a positive direction. As for Moscow, it was certainly aware of the Armenian side's attitude from the outset and may have used it to its advantage.

At the same time, Yerevan's destructive policy is not just slowing down the political and diplomatic track, it is freezing all the innovative processes that are associated with it, such as the launch of international transport transit through the Zangazur corridor, in which not only Azerbaijan but also most Central Asian countries are interested. Under the threat of secondary Western sanctions against a number of Central Asian states, which are forced to use the old routes via Russia, Armenia's blocking of the possibility of transporting cargo through the Zangazur corridor breaks the plans of the whole region across the Caspian Sea.

Kazakh political analyst Azat Akhmetov told Caliber.Az that Armenia is a geopolitical hay dog which directly and indirectly causes many problems for a number of countries.

"Armenia, which has been economically and partly politically isolated for many years, has lost many advantages due to its occupation policy and has got used to living on various loans, begging for various kinds of aid for its subsistence. Its leadership has no objective understanding of reality at all. Unceasing Armenian revanchism continues to aggravate the situation, causing frank irritation in some Central Asian countries as well. I can confidently say that we, as well as our neighbours in the region, openly call Armenia the most toxic political outsider in the CIS [the Commonwealth of Independent States]. And this already sounds openly both on the political field and at behind-the-scenes meetings, if Armenian politicians are present there. And continuous provocations of Armenian separatists on the Azerbaijani land, almost daily bombardments of the neighbouring country's territory by Armenian armed forces indicate that Armenia does not want peace in the South Caucasus. So no one should be complacent," Akhmetov said.

The current situation, he notes, is such that many countries are in a sense dependent on Armenia, its fierce nationalism and unfounded political claims. And Yerevan is practically bragging about this but in vain - there is a way out, and it will only be worse for Armenia itself.

“The objective diversification of transport routes through Russia and economic ties with that country form a different geopolitical reality, where the link with Azerbaijan via the Caspian is the main strategic thoroughfare. It is this route, the strategy of the "Middle Corridor" from China to Europe, which also passes through the Zangazur corridor, that largely shapes today's realities for our countries. However, today it is Armenia, blocking transit opportunities through its territory, that prevents Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from developing new transport routes as profitably and comfortably as possible. We have been waiting patiently for their unblocking for more than two years.

Moreover, Armenia is deliberately destabilising the situation in the region, constantly spewing revanchist slogans and calling for a new war with Azerbaijan. Even on the state level, Yerevan is still threatening Baku, although the country has unequivocally capitulated as a result of the 44-day war and must unconditionally fulfil its obligations in this regard. It is understandable that major Western investors have doubts about this situation - they are waiting for the South Caucasus to finally achieve political détente, but so far, they are waiting by the seaside.

All this severely hampers the prospects of transit for the Central Asian countries, which now find themselves in the role of guests in the hallway, where the way to the living room is blocked by an unfriendly Armenia, with its hands at its sides and unwilling to let anyone go on. Thank God, there are other opportunities and ways: rail transit Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and further to Europe for Central Asian countries is well established and obvious.

Soon Armenia will be simply bypassed and left aside as an unnecessary link if Yerevan continues to block the fulfilment of its obligations within the framework of the Trilateral Statement. This is when the darkest days will come for Armenia, because nothing can be ruled out, up to the introduction of sanctions against it by the European Union for its destructive policy in the region. At least because not only the Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia, but also the West itself want the fastest establishment of transit routes - it is the first one to order these processes, and it is not worth joking with such forces," the Kazakh pundit concluded.