If Armenia fails to agree with Azerbaijan now, such opportunities may not exist tomorrow Publicist Harutyunyan warns Armenian people

"Today's opportunities may not exist tomorrow. Armenia had the opportunity in 1998 to negotiate very favourable terms with Azerbaijan, as a result of which we could have open borders and economic development, instead of 23 years of incessant border tension, and large and small conflicts that claimed human lives, the 2020 war, the subsequent defeat, and the current reality."

Public figure, human rights activist and publicist Vardan Harutyunyan writes about this, Caliber.Az reports.

In his article, Harutyunyan emphasises that three key figures of the then Armenian government - [late Prime Minister] Vazgen Sargsyan, [former Armenian presidents] Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan rejected this option. The human rights activist writes that these three figures were not alone: the Armenian public, with rare exceptions, was against solving the problem on the basis of compromises.

"Years later, in 2016 or 2017, when the opportunities of 1998 were already lost, and our positions in the negotiation process were extremely weak, Serzh Sargsyan in Stepanakert (Khankandi – ed.), at a meeting with Karabakh's leadership, allegedly said that it was necessary to make concessions in order to avoid significant losses.

The irony is that in 1998 when our positions were more than strong, Serzh Sargsyan was persuaded and explained that time was running out, and we must compromise on the problem, otherwise, it would be too late and we would lose everything. But he and his teammates said with one voice: no, we will not concede anything, we will keep everything we have won, we will force the world and Azerbaijan to accept our conditions," the Armenian publicist writes.

Harutyunyan writes that as a result, Armenia was excluded from the regional economic projects that were being formed in the early 2000s, turned into an enclave and lost the development opportunities that it could have had in the event of a resolution of the Karabakh issue.

"Under the pressure of the international community and the ever-growing demands of economically developing Azerbaijan, Sargsyan in Stepanakert (Khankendi - ed.) explained to others what he was explained in 1998. Even when the seriousness of the situation was obvious, instead of being consistent and taking effective measures to eliminate the threat to the country, he, by changing the constitution, was engaged in extending his own power.

Since 1998, we have been following the path that led us to the 2020 war and to our crushing defeat. It's strange, but even defeat does not become a lesson for us. Yesterday's government, which has already become the opposition, other forces on the square, and a variety of people forming opinions, are singing an old song today: everything belongs to us, we must arm ourselves, fight and regain what we have lost.

They do not explain how and by what means we should arm ourselves and recover what we have lost. They also do not explain why the next war they are talking about will not bring new losses and new defeats. They do not explain why it must necessarily end in our favour. They proclaim with a proud look and receive applause. And they are not responsible for the consequences. [They] never carried [responsibility]. And with all their irresponsibility, they drag most of our society with them.

And most people close their eyes so as not to see the frightening reality and live with an ear-caressing lie. We don't want to admit that we have reached a situation where we can't have good solutions. Today we can only have bad or very bad decisions. It is a very bad decision - along with the losses already recorded, to lose part of the territory of Armenia, so that Azerbaijan, cutting us off from Iran and further deepening our blockade, will receive a sovereign corridor through Meghri (a city in Zangazur – ed.), creating an even greater threat to our sovereignty," Harutyunyan writes.

In his article, the Armenian publicist urges the Armenian people to reject irresponsible and stereotypical speeches in favour of "a real perception of reality, the realisation of the opportunities that we have in this period of time. Otherwise, we will not be able to avoid making very bad decisions".