Regional economy vs Armenian revanchist propaganda Expert opinion on Caliber.Az

The Armenian opposition ranks are sounding the alarm bells: Baku and Yerevan are ready to launch active trade, which, in the view of the rabid revanchists, amounts to “direct cooperation with the enemy.”

For example, the so-called civic initiative Hayakve has descended into outright absurdity by urging Armenian citizens not to buy Azerbaijani petrol. “The blood of thousands of our fallen is far more valuable and priceless to us than fuel supplied by the enemy,” reads the statement issued by this odious organisation.

In turn, Armenian political analyst Vardan Voskanian, acknowledging that Azerbaijani petrol is being sold in Armenia at a fairly rapid pace, called this fact “shameful news.” “This is a sign of societal degradation and the triumph of consumerism over national honour and dignity,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

But the most distressing development for the Armenian revanchists, who harbour intense hatred towards Azerbaijan, was the statement by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in which he expressed hope for the launch of trade between the two states.

“I hope that in the near future there will be bilateral trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Currently, there is import from Azerbaijan to Armenia, and I hope that exports from Armenia to Azerbaijan will also appear,” he said.

In light of the above, quite reasonable questions arise: “What are the Armenian revanchists, who are so fearful of the launch of an open trade regime between Baku and Yerevan, really hoping for?”; “And who, overall, is directing these forces?” Caliber.Az turns to Belarusian and Kyrgyz political analysts for answers to these questions.

Thus, Belarusian political analyst and chief expert at the Center for Analytical Forecasting, Alexey Chernov, believes that many opposition forces in Yerevan are alarmed by the current situation and the prospect that trade relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia will develop in the near future.

“Between the two countries, a wall is coming down. When Azerbaijani products, beyond just petrol, appear directly on the Armenian market—in the shelves of Armenian stores—it will deal a direct blow to the anti-Azerbaijan policy that revanchist forces have cultivated for years. And what will their propaganda be built on then? This explains their hysteria, as they fully understand that in this case they will lose their main tool of pressure on Armenian society, especially if Azerbaijani products are cheaper and equal in quality to other similar goods.

The failure of these forces is further reinforced by the understanding that Prime Minister Pashinyan is focused on developing trade ties with Baku. He has no interest in chauvinistic statements about ‘national pride and honour’; his aim is to lift Armenia out of economic crisis and isolation. His goal is to bring new offerings from Azerbaijan—and later from Türkiye—onto the Armenian market, and he pays no attention to propagandist nonsense.

The prime minister has repeatedly stated that Armenian society needs to shed old ways of thinking, forget past grievances, and prepare to build bridges with its neighbours. In turn, the export of Armenian goods to Azerbaijan will further undermine the position of revanchists, because Armenian businessmen will start profiting from trade with their neighbours, rendering any anti-Azerbaijani propaganda meaningless,” said Chernov.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyz political analyst and economist Umar Mutaliev is convinced that the sponsors of the Armenian opposition—those who shape the narratives for anti-Azerbaijani propaganda—have become seriously alarmed.

“It is no secret that the Armenian opposition puts forward theses that are partly directed by external sponsors, primarily the Armenian lobby in Europe and the United States, which for years thrived on hatred toward Azerbaijan, ‘extracting’ funds from American foundations and various sponsors under the pretext of the now-tired and false claim of ‘Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia.’ This deceitful rhetoric grew especially after the 44-day war and Azerbaijan’s liberation of its territories, when Armenians voluntarily left Karabakh.

European politicians, bought off by Armenian sponsors and who have defended Armenian interests with foam at their mouths, may soon find themselves out of work. Who can they accuse if the countries are friendly and trading with each other, and if the official authorities in Yerevan support the expansion of ties with their neighbour?! Where will they draw this anti-human, hateful ground from if everyone is satisfied?!

It is quite clear that when products and cargoes from Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries begin to arrive in Armenia regularly via the Middle Corridor, the Armenian side will have a strong interest in such economic ties. Any Armenian will then ask themselves: ‘Why should I be hostile to Azerbaijan if Azerbaijani products and goods make my life easier and more convenient, if thanks to Azerbaijan’s goodwill, Armenia receives cargoes from other countries?’” — concluded Mutaliev.