Vaհe H Apelian
On March 13, 2025 the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement that read in part: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia through diplomatic channels has conveyed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan that Armenia accepts the proposals of Azerbaijan on the two unresolved articles of the draft "Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan", and has proposed issuing a joint statement announcing that the text of the Peace Agreement has been agreed upon and that the negotiations on the draft agreement have been finalized. Official Baku preferred to make a unilateral statement.”
Upon the release of the statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, a flurry of comments from Armenian organizations and from Armenians across the globe came about. Understandably many were concerned, while others outright rejected the peace deal labeling it a fake peace or Armenia is capitulating. Although the entire text of the peace deal is not available yet, but the following is known. There will be no more international observers along the border. There is no word about the Artsakh Armenian possessions or their safe return and security guarantee. The hostages and prisoners in Baku are not part of the peace deal. There is no international guarantee for assuring the implementation of the peace deal.
The next day, on March 14, Petros Ghazaryan had an interview he with Hayk Konjoryan, on the peace agreement. He is a 38 years old promising upcoming leader who made his political debut 2017 by invoking Khrimian Hayrig’s Iron Laddle (Paper Laddle?) speech.
The interview was streamed on the Armenian national TV. Hayk Konjoryan noted that the main thrust of the peace deal is for MUTUAL TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY (տարացքային ամողջականութիւն), MUTUAL SOVEREIGHNTY (,ինքնիշխանութիւն), MUTUAL BORDER SANCTITY (Սահմանային անձռմխելիութիւն) and ABSENCE OF MUTUAL THREAT OF FORCE (ուժի բացառում), now and in the future. He said that the text of the agreement will be provided to the NA as well as to other governmental institutions for public scrutiny, once the deal is signed by both parties. He further elaborated that there is no thesis (դրույթ) for “Zankezur” passage but all communications routes will be opened per November 9, 2020 try party agreement. He confirmed that there is no trust between Armenia and Azeris. Had there been trust there would not have been the need for a peace deal. He further noted that Artsakh hostages are not part of the peace deal and there is no international guarantee and that the signed peace deal is the guarantee. Politics, he noted, is the art of achieving the possible which is the peace deal Armenia has achieved.
Is Armenia capitulating its sovereignty?
My thoughts went back to the recent Armenian and Azeri conflict over the Mountainous Nagorno Karabagh that ended in a complete disaster for the Armenians. I am reminded of the rejection of the proposal of the first president Levon Ter Petrosyan for major concession for resolving the conflict. He had outlined it in his “War or Peace, Time to get Serious” position paper on November 1, 1997, where he advocated major concessions for resolving the lingering Karabagh conflict. Much like in the present, the position LTP outlined in that document created an uproar in Armenia and resulted in the palace coup that unseated him. The rest is another tragic chapter of our much-tortured history. Those interested may read the attached link below.
I remain reminded of what LTP had said in that document. I quote the following:
“Rejection of compromise and maximalism (striving to achieve the maximum and not the possible) is the shortest way to the complete destruction of Karabakh and deterioration of the situation in Armenia.”
“Apart from the essence of compromise, the moment of compromise is also important. …..What we reject today, we will ask for in the future, but we will not receive, as has happened many times in our history.”
I am also reminded of the founders of the Republic of Armenia on May 28, 1918, whose territory was 11,400 sq. km, per Treaty of Batum that was signed seven days later, on June 4, 1918. But the Armenian state officials went out of their way to safe guard what they had achieved and hosted Turkish officials and not only thanked the butcher Talaat Pasha for making the Republic of Armenia a reality but also pleaded him to expand its territory. They did it just so that the nascent republic would survive and survive it did and it is the present-day Armenia, which at the present is put in trust of a new generation to assure its longevity as a Republic.
I stand with what the PM Nikol Pashinyan and the FM Ararat Mirzoyan and the present government led by the Civil Contract faction of the NA. They strived on behalf of Armenia and achieved what Armenia could, agreed on signing the peace deal. I believe that Nikol Pashinyan and his FM minister Ararat Mirzoyan are acting responsibly under tremendous pressure and under the burden of history for the sake of assuring the viability of the Republic of Armenia for future generations.
The issue is existential. However imperfect a peace deal this may be, if signed, as Azerbaijan will do its utmost to sink it, it will be for Armenians to support the government in the peace deal they have worked out and to rally around it to assure that the premises of the peace deal are implemented.
There is no and there will be no international guarantee for the implementation of this peace deal. Its only guarantee is the Armenian nation, by rallying around it to see that the main thrusts of this peace deal, as Hayk outlined, are achieved.
MUTUAL TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY (տարացքային ամողջականութիւն)
MUTUAL SOVEREIGHNTY (,ինքնիշխանութիւն),
MUTUAL BORDER SANCTITY (Սահմանային անձռմխելիութիւն).
ABSENCE OF MUTUAL THREAT OF FORCE (ուժի բացառում), now and in the future.
Wil there be a more favorable opportunity in the foreseeable future, if this deal is not signed? I doubt there will be, as a state of no war and no peace is not tenable.
It will be upon each and every one of us, as Armenians to live up to the challenge.
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Link: A document for history: “War or peace, time to get serious" - "Պատերազմ թէ՞ խաղաղութիւն՝ լրջանալու պահը" -
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