ArmInfo. The speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in the Parliament is partly reminiscent of Levon Ter-Petrosyan's "War or Peace" article (the first President of the Republic of Armenia, ed. note), and the public discussions and disputes that followed Pashinyan's speech - the meeting convened on January 8, 1998 by Levon Ter-Petrosyan National Security Council.
Former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian expressed a similar opinion in his article on the current situation in Armenia and the current stage of the Karabakh settlement.
At the same time, he expressed his conviction that the current situation in Armenia is similar to the situation of 1997-1998, from a crucial and turning point of view, but not in terms of content. However, he added, from the point of view of Armenia's national interests, there is no aspect of comparing the approaches of Ter-Petrosyan and Pashinyan.
"The meeting of the Security Council was expanded, in addition to the members of the Council of Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan, Minister of Defense Vazgen Sargsyan and Minister of Internal Affairs and National Security Serzh Sargsyan, it was attended by representatives of the ANM, the leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh represented by President Arkady Ghukasyan, Minister of Defense Samvel Babayan and Prime Minister Leonard Petrosyan.
At that time, I was the first deputy minister of foreign affairs and was invited to the meeting as the chief negotiator on Karabakh. At the meeting, Levon Ter-Petrosyan pursued the goal of substantiating his support for the phased version of the settlement of the Karabakh problem, presented by the Minsk Group in those days, and obtaining agreement from the participants to put this proposal into motion.
Ter-Petrosyan was convinced that the return of the regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh to ensure the existence of the territory and people of Nagorno-Karabakh, with the exception of Lachin, proceeds from the national interests of Armenia and the Armenian people. Moreover, he believed that, given the geopolitical situation of those days, as well as the limited opportunities for the development of the Republic of Armenia, no other option can be expected," Oskanian recalled.
At the same time, he stated that the objection of his opponents was based on the fact that the proposed document did not even mention the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh, not to mention any clarification on this issue.
"Ter-Petrosyan, in turn, assured that every reference to the status of Nagorno-Karabakh will necessarily include the principle of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, therefore, at this stage, it is preferable to refrain from discussing the status issue.
Interrupting this stormy and passionate argument, Ter-Petrosyan put me in a rather difficult position and, stretching out his hand in my direction, said: "Let Vardan say whether it is ever possible to get a document in which there will be a reference to the status of Karabakh without fixing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan". It took me by surprise. I sat far away at the table while I was in the role of listener and did not expect that I would participate in the discussions.
Everyone looked at me as if my answer was supposed to decide the outcome of this meeting: "Mr. President, I think it's possible," the diplomat said.
At the same time, Oskanian noted that his answer was based on the conviction that the Armenian side had not exhausted its diplomatic possibilities and that in those days the international conditions were not favorable for the RA. "But, given the turbulent situation of those days in the world, a lot could have changed in our favor, which happened. In subsequent years, the Minsk Group put three proposals on the table (a common state, Key West and the Madrid proposals), in which there was a reference to the status Karabakh, and in three cases - outside of Azerbaijan.
The key difference between those days and these days is that Ter-Petrosyan only proposed to refrain from discussing the status, leaving it for the future. Pashinyan, apparently, is inclined to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan if the security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is guaranteed.
If in these days Ter-Petrosyan offered to bypass the issue of status, today it is necessary to bypass and avoid the signing of a "peace treaty" at any cost, since it will inevitably consolidate the status of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.
If desired, Pashinyan has weighty and convincing arguments for everyone not to sign such a document," Oskanian said.
According to him, firstly, from a legal point of view, this document will contradict the Constitution of Armenia and the decision of the Supreme Council of independent Armenia of 1992. And in this vein, he pointed to the fact that in order to sign and ratify such a document, it is necessary to change the Constitution of Armenia and cancel the decision of the Supreme Council.
"Secondly, no one has been granted such a right. A majority of votes in elections does not mean obtaining the right to make arbitrary decisions on an existential issue for the Armenian people.
Thirdly, the people of Artsakh - the issue of its physical existence, which is put on the scales - was the main bearer of hardships and sufferings of the past decades, and did not give anyone the authority to decide their fate, which was reaffirmed by its parliament by a statement adopted the other day.
Fourthly, there is a provision in Pashinyan's program on Nagorno-Karabakh approved by the Armenian National Assembly, according to which it is necessary to be consistent in realizing the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination based on the principle of "recognition in the name of salvation", the indisputable right to which the people of Artsakh have," emphasized the Armenian diplomat.
At the same time, Oskanian is convinced that both in the distant 90s and today, the Armenian side has not exhausted diplomatic opportunities. In this vein, he drew attention to the fact that after the 44-day war, Armenian diplomacy practically did not make any serious efforts to achieve a favorable result for the Armenians.
"Even if for a moment we assume that international conditions are not favorable, then now the world is even more unstable and uncertain than ever, and it would simply, to put it mildly, be naive in these conditions to determine the status of Artsakh in favor of Azerbaijan. The result of any negotiations should satisfy three conditions: it must be meaningful, effective and improve relations between the parties. The path chosen by the Armenian authorities cannot satisfy any of these conditions.
The speeches of Pashinyan and his team in the National Assembly about their readiness to lower the bar of the political status of Nagorno-Karabakh, that is, to recognize the belonging of Karabakh to Azerbaijan, have already closed all the possibilities for reaching an acceptable solution for Armenia through negotiations in advance.
Perhaps the signing of such a document will establish friendly ties between the current authorities and Azerbaijan, but, clearly, it cannot serve as the basis for friendship between the state of Armenia, the Armenian people and Azerbaijan," Oskanian summed up.