ArmInfo. The post-war situation in Armenia is not without problems and is fraught with many challenges. This idea was expressed in an interview with the First TV Channel by the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.
The prime minister stressed that in fact the country is in a phase where it is necessary to overcome the consequences of the 44-day war. He noted with regret that it is impossible to overcome such consequences as the loss of a large number of people who cannot be returned, and this is a very tragic sad fact. And of course, the country has faced numerous internal and external challenges today, and therefore our first task is to ensure security and stability both in Armenia itself and around it. It cannot be said that this issue has been resolved 100%, but the country is moving in this direction with "confident steps".
He noted that, as before, the security of Armenia is under the umbrella of the CSTO security system. At the same time, he stressed that earlier the public had not entirely correct ideas about the obligations of the CSTO system in relation to Armenia, not knowing that the obligations of the CSTO extend exclusively within the internationally recognized borders of Armenia. Outside these boundaries, the CSTO has no obligations. Pashinyan, meanwhile, admitted that the dangers that directly affected the borders of Armenia were the focus of this organization. As for the general regional security system, he said, in this regard, it is necessary to go in the direction of reforming the army, structural transformations, strategic transformations, including in terms of weapons. We need to assess the new regional situation and our role in terms of regional relations. It is also important to adjust the agenda of our partners from the point of view of their relationship in the current regional situation. He did not deny that the situation in Syunik has radically changed, and this cannot but worry. He expressed confidence that Armenia has no unsolvable problems in this region, which does not mean that there are no problems at all. In Syunik, according to the prime minister, a certain security system is working, although it is clear that the environment in this region has changed after the war and there is a certain tension, which, in his opinion, will be weakened over time. For this, the government intends to implement large-scale socio-economic programs in the region, especially since it is simply necessary to form the most favorable situation around Artsakh and Syunik, on which the government is constantly working on a daily basis.
As for the opening of communications that can change the general situation in the region, in Pashinyan's opinion, a balanced approach to this issue can lead to long-term and sustainable peace. And besides, to mutually beneficial cooperation and growth of economic potential and economic profile of Armenia. But this thesis does not at all mean that there are no challenges - risks that need to be managed. This is a matter of choosing a strategy, but communications, in any case, are the arteries that connect us to the region and vice versa, making this connection a rather important factor. We must formulate this agenda and understand the dangers and identify the methods that will neutralize these challenges. In this regard, the question of who is the most interested party in the issue of unblocking communications, it can be stated that all participants are interested in this process, without exception - Russia, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. It's another matter that the interests of the parties sometimes coincide, and in some cases they do not. And in this work it is necessary to find opportunities to smooth out those issues that do not coincide and emphasize those that, on the contrary, coincide.
As a positive fact in this context, Pashinyan cited the example of starting a discussion on the possibility of opening the Abkhaz section of the railway, discussing the possibility of using a direct rail link connecting the Persian Gulf with the Black Sea. This increases the interest in the topic, which, again, according to the prime minister, does not at all speak about the absence of challenges, just as it does not speak about the availability of opportunities, a competent approach to which is of strategic importance for Armenia.