Armenian authorities open doors to Meghri and Syunik wide to Turkey  and Azerbaijan - expert 

ArmInfo. Stanford University professor and political scientist Artur Khachikyan is confident that the current Armenian authorities have made further concessions to Azerbaijan and ceded control of Meghri in the Syunik region.

"As we previously reported, sources at the London School of Economics  and the Washington Center for European Policy say Armenia has  surrendered the Zangezur Corridor. Turkey and Azerbaijan will play a  strategic role, and the financing, construction, maintenance, and  management of the Zangezur Corridor will be in their hands. Armenian  sovereignty remains on paper. And now, another lie, another ploy by  this group of traitors, has been exposed. The text of the agreement  signed by Rubio with a representative of this group has been made  public. This agreement has driven another nail into the coffin of  Meghri and Syunik," the expert wrote on his Telegram channel,  referring to the initialing of the framework agreement on strategic  cooperation for the Trump Route for International Peace and  Prosperity (TRIPP) project.

"Reading this document will make your hair stand on end. Meghri has  been surrendered, Armenia's sovereignty is lost, and Turkey and  Azerbaijan can now seize control of Meghri or the 'Zangezur  Corridor,'" Khachikyan continues.

To support his claims, he analyzes the text of the initialed  agreement signed on May 26 at Yerevan Airport by US Secretary of  State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

The political scientist notes that the first article of this document  states that a "Special Purpose Vehicle" (SPV) refers to a subsidiary  to be created by the TDC for the purpose of implementing a specific  TRIPP mechanism, which implies the creation of subsidiaries and  subcontractors.

"Article 3 states that the parties provide that the Shareholders  shall establish special decision-making mechanisms in the TDC  Articles of Association and the Shareholders' Agreement, as  applicable, for reserved matters requiring mutual consent, as  detailed in the TDC Articles of Association and/or the Shareholders'  Agreement. Reserved matters shall include, but not be limited to,  matters relating to:  stakeholder participation (including change of  control in TDC, transfer of shares in TDC, incorporation and  ownership of private companies); certain major contracts and  financial decisions; granting of concession rights and the final  terms of concession agreements; and matters relating to the Joint  Declaration, national security, and matters of a political nature.

That is, this corporation will have its own decision-making  mechanisms, in which the United States will have 74% of the shares,  that is, the deciding vote, so decisions will be made by the majority  of shareholders. "Armenia can't say 'no'; it has no veto power,"  Khachikyan noted.

The expert is confident that these decisions include changes in  control of the corporation, changes in ownership, the involvement of  subcontractors, contracts, financial decisions, the granting of  concession rights, and national security issues. According to him,  these will be decisions made by the corporation, in which Armenia  owns only 26% of the shares.

The political scientist further notes that Article 4 states that  Armenia agrees that the TDC corporation will be authorized to select  third parties to implement each TRIPP project developed by  contractors, including third parties acting as concessionaires,  sponsors, operators, contractors, and EPC (engineering procurement  and construction) suppliers for such TRIPP project.

"That is, the corporation will select third parties: operators,  contractors, engineers, construction companies, and sponsors." These  decisions will be made not by Armenia, but by a US corporation, in  which Armenia's share is only 26%, so its vote will be irrelevant,"  Khachikyan continued.

He also noted that the TRIPP agreement takes precedence over Armenian  law, as evidenced by Article 5 of the agreement, which states that  Armenia confirms that, in accordance with its Constitution, this  Agreement will apply in the event of any conflict with Armenian law.   The United States intends to provide and/or assist in securing  financing for TRIPP projects, subject to the availability of funds  and in accordance with applicable requirements, or on commercial  terms from public and private investors.

"The corporation will have exclusive rights to land use, development,  and all other rights within the corridor. The corporation will  determine the terms of the concession and select the parties  (countries, companies, etc.) to which the concessions will be  granted." This is evidenced by Article 6 of the agreement, which  states that Armenia grants TDC, for an initial term of 49 years,  exclusive land use rights, development rights, relevant permits, and  all other rights that the Government of Armenia and TDC mutually  agree are necessary for the effective development, operation, and/or  maintenance, as applicable, of the relevant facilities. The TRIPP  project, rights to which must be fully transferred to contractors, is  a case in point. Armenia agrees that TDC should be permitted to  develop detailed concession terms and conditions that will be used in  selecting the concessionaire, as described in Article 4(3)," the  expert continued.

According to Khachikyan, this is a complete, unconditional, clear,  and unequivocal surrender of Meghri.  "A US-owned corporation will  have the right to invite third parties, such as Turkey and  Azerbaijan, to become subcontractors, builders, operators, managers,  financiers, and owners of the Meghri Corridor. The Armenian  Constitution and Armenian laws will no longer matter: the TRIPPA  agreement will prevail.  That's why this group of traitors is so  desperately trying to change the Constitution: so that TRIPPA takes  precedence over Armenian laws. Words about Armenia's sovereignty are  just words. It will remain on paper. Meghri has been surrendered, and  we have become a colony," the political scientist believes.

The expert points out that Armenia will have no say in how the  corridor is managed, who is invited to join the project, how it is  financed, how roads are built, or who will become the new owner of  the "Zangezur Corridor." According to him, everything is written in  black and white in this document. "The doors to Meghri and Syunik are  wide open for Turkey and Azerbaijan, who can enter and never leave.   And this door was opened by a group of cowardly traitors and members  of their sect, whose only concern is staying in power, filling their  bellies, and making more money by betraying their country.

We are living in difficult times, which our descendants will long  remember, just as we now remember the end of the First Armenian  Republic of 1918-1920. Then, at the last moment, the 11th Red Army  arrived and saved at least the remnants of that Armenia.

Today, the 11th Red Army is gone. There are you, the voters, and you  have six days left to go to the polls, to bring with you those who  haven't yet been dragged into this terrible sect, and to vote for the  salvation of our small republic," Khachikyan concluded.