From "Karabakh is Armenia" to acknowledging Azerbaijan's territorial integrity When war became inevitable?

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has understood the truth behind the saying "Once something is said, it cannot be unsaid". Pashinyan, the leader who emerged from the "Velvet revolution" and ousted the so-called "Karabakh clan" led by Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan, once basked in the glow of his political triumph over them.

On August 5, 2019, as part of this process, Pashinyan visited the temporarily occupied city of Khankendi, where a decision was made to hold the so-called "Pan-Armenian Games." This relatively new propaganda, conceived by previous Armenian administrations, was designed to extract funds from the diaspora under a "patriotic" pretext. Despite displacing those who implemented this scheme, Pashinyan has not abandoned it.

Five years ago, Pashinyan visited Khankendi, where he met with the leaders of the Karabakh junta. Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, and others now held in Baku’s detention facility might recall how intoxicated and jovial Pashinyan was at that time, dancing on temporarily occupied Azerbaijani land, clearly believing he had seized his moment of fortune.

These memories might warm the hearts of the former Karabakh leaders. However, it’s also possible they harbor other feelings and curse Pashinyan for his statements made in Khankendi. "Karabakh is Armenia, period," Pashinyan shouted into the microphone. This declaration marked a turning point, making a new war seem inevitable. It was the infamous "red line" crossed by Yerevan.

Throughout the years that the Azerbaijani lands were under Armenian occupation, the Armenian leaders ignored international law and the well-known four resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly. Both previous and current Armenian administrations have sabotaged peace negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict with Azerbaijan. However, as the saying goes, everything has its limits. Baku lost patience after Pashinyan’s provocative statement in Khankendi. On that day, August 5, 2019, it became clear that a new Azerbaijan-Armenia war was inevitable. In July 2020, Armenia, led by Pashinyan, attempted a military provocation in the direction of Tovuz, taking a big risk. However, these plans came to naught. The triumph of historical justice and international law occurred when all the necessary components came together.

We remember how desperately and ineffectively Pashinyan tried to reach out to the leaders of major world powers during the 44-day second Karabakh war. We recall how French President Macron attempted to defend Armenia and how the global Armenian diaspora struggled to halt the victorious advance of the Azerbaijani army, which was carrying out the mission set by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev. This mission was ultimately accomplished with great success. Azerbaijan reclaimed Shusha, Fuzuli, and other lands that had been under Armenian occupation for so long. Pashinyan was forced to sign the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020. In essence, this was an act of Armenia’s surrender, which sparked a nationwide hysteria.

Indeed, the signing of the November 10, 2020, agreement did not lead to a change in leadership in Armenia, largely because Pashinyan's opponents, Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, are figures widely despised in Armenia. By the way, the "Pan-Armenian Games" were held in Gyumri in August 2023. During that event, Pashinyan faced a lot of harsh criticism.

This year, there are no "Pan-Armenian Games." Instead, Pashinyan and his wife are actively cycling everywhere possible, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up participating in the Tour de France. However, that’s his personal choice.

What remains indisputable is that Azerbaijan has fully reclaimed all its territories. Pashinyan, who just five years ago declared "Karabakh is Armenia, period," and then celebrated drunkenly in Shusha, now regularly affirms Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, including Karabakh.

Akbar Hasanov