ArmInfo. "Today, in our region, and, I dare say, in the entire world, the world order that existed prior to 2020 is changing, and if we look at things from this point of view, then local conflicts are partial manifestations of that change."Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan stated this in an interview with SpecialEurasia, referring to the future of the Republic in a rapidly changing world and against the backdrop of regional challenges.
The President of Armenia emphasized that the 44-day war in 2020 was a tough ordeal for our people, and generally, it is hard to give a full assessment of the devastating consequences of wars, for both warring sides
At the same time, Khachaturian added, "Undoubtedly, amid the tenseness and changes in the current international reality, each state needs to make a choice, but I believe these choices are more about values. In light of this, Armenia has made its unequivocal choice, which is to follow the principles of democracy unswervingly and establish democratic institutions. We are a country with little opportunities, I mean Armenia isn't rich in minerals, energy sources, oil and gas, and under such circumstances, democracy, culture, science become our number one resource to introduce ourselves to the world, have our spot under the sun and our unique traits. And for all this, we need peace."
According to him, "there are no alternatives regarding the latter for Armenia, as peace is the crucial precondition for the accomplishment, development, and civilisational rise of the citizens individually, and the state. Briefly put, Armenia has unequivocally chosen the path of peaceful, democratic, and people-centred development."
Answering the question about Armenia's foreign relations, does he believe that the settlement of relations with Turkey will be possible, even though Ankara has never recognized the Armenian Genocide? How might react the Armenian population about this issue? He said, in part:
"The establishment of neighbourly relations with all the contiguous countries, including Turkey, has never been a moot point. We have always been in favour of establishing relations with Turkey and opening the boarders with no preconditions.
"It should be emphasised that the wording "no preconditions" is not a diplomatic evasion and also refers to the issue of the recognition of Genocide. Unfortunately, I should highlight that throughout decades, Turkey has been the first to put forth preconditions for opening the borders and normalising relations, in some sense serving the Azerbaijani agenda in the process of the settlement of the Karabakh problem.
In the meantime, I find it important to note that in early 1990s and in 2008-2009, Armenia and Turkey had the opportunity to change radically and move toward normalisation. Those opportunities weren't used to the fullest, but today I find it more than important to look into the future instead of talking over past drawbacks or lost chances.
Nowadays, the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey meet periodically. Positive dynamics can also be seen in the fields of information and propaganda, and I hope that we can establish civilised, well-ordered and predictable neighbourly relations. I profoundly believe that the solution of even the most complex issues is in development and democracy which can't exist with preconditions and exceptions. From this viewpoint, Armenia finds the establishment of civilised relations with Turkey, and all the neighbours to be an opportunity to reach democracy and development, and to solve complex issues, as I've already said."
When asked if he sees any changes after September 2022, given the fact that in the past, the West has often applied the double standard policy about Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, Khachaturian said that he would like not to provide unequivocal and one-sided evaluations of the role of the West in Karabakh conflict. "Established in 1992 the OSCE Minsk Group has carried out valuable work aimed at the settlement of the conflict all these years, coming up with various offers. It's another thing that in 2020, Azerbaijan made an attempt to achieve the favourable result by using force. What comes to the position of the West, and, I can say, the progressive mankind after September 2022, everything is more than clear here. On September 13th, 2022, Azerbaijan invaded and occupied the sovereign territory of Armenia. This matter was discussed by the United Nations Security Council and many countries condemned Azerbaijani aggression, and finally, the OSCE sent a fact-finding mission to Armenia. I think these are indicators that lucidly demonstrate the position of the West," the President of Armenia said.