Former Foreign Minister: Disadvantages of Washington agreements can  easily outweigh all possible positive factors for Armenia 

ArmInfo. The disadvantages of the Washington agreements of August 8 are so numerous and fundamental that they can outweigh all possible positive factors for Armenia.  Former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan wrote on his Facebook page. 

He drew attention to the fact that many Armenian politicians, experts  and analysts claim that, despite the existing shortcomings, these  agreements give Armenia the opportunity to emerge from isolation and  close the page of the conflict. In particular, as the former Foreign  Minister noted, the country receives recognition of its current  borders, assurances of the exclusion of the use of force and economic  advantages thanks to new automobile and railway projects. However, he  noted that although this interpretation of the agreement is desirable  for the Armenian side, it is far from reality. 

"There are four main issues that are often overlooked and deserve  special attention," the former minister believes. First of all, as  Oskanyan notes, the agreement legitimizes Azerbaijan's military  aggression and the forced displacement of more than 120,000 Artsakh  Armenians from their native lands. In this vein, he explained that  the documents could have had real value in the first years of Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan's tenure in power, given the changed  conditions of Artsakh's political status at that time (in 2020, after  the 44-day war - ed.). 

"However, in the context of the loss of Artsakh, it is very  difficult, to put it mildly, to read these documents and express  satisfaction. Secondly, no matter how it is presented, the so-called  "unblocking" project gives Azerbaijan the sovereign right to use the  route passing through the most strategic region of Armenia (Syunik -  ed.). Supporters claim that the project respects Armenia's  sovereignty, however, in practice, Armenia was forced to cede control  over transit to a state that has repeatedly threatened its  existence," the former head of the Foreign Ministry noted. 

Meanwhile, he noted that for Azerbaijan, this is not about mutual  economic benefit, but about fulfilling its long-standing demand for  the so-called "corridor", which undermines Armenia's territorial  integrity and security. Oskanyan also believes that the peace treaty  itself does not provide any guarantees regarding Armenia's  sovereignty or territorial integrity, since the text leaves these  issues to the discretion of the future demarcation, which remains  unresolved and may be subject to pressure from Azerbaijan. 

"There is nothing in the Washington agreements that could prevent  Azerbaijan from making further demands on Armenia's Constitution,  borders or foreign policy. Moreover, much of the analysis of the  geopolitical implications of these agreements is based on  contradictory assumptions," Oskanyan points out. He also touched on  the claim that this settlement would be beneficial to everyone -  Russia, Turkey and Iran. At the same time, he noted that there is  also an opposite opinion that it is aimed at reducing Russia's  influence, containing Iran or strengthening Turkey. 

"The reality is that the South Caucasus and the region around it are  constantly changing. No one can predict with certainty how regional  events will develop, especially in the context of superpower  competition. To say that these agreements guarantee stability means  ignoring history: the region has repeatedly shown how quickly  apparent successes can collapse," the former head of the Foreign  Ministry explained. 

In summary, Oskanyan noted that the August 8 agreements are not a  solid foundation for peace, but rather a formalization of the current  situation, which clearly legitimizes the Armenian losses, leaves  security issues uncertain and even exacerbates the country's  vulnerability. According to him, welcoming them without facing these  four realities means confusing formality with content. 

Recall that on August 8, a trilateral meeting of the leaders of the  United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan took place at the White House.  Within the framework of this meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan, US President Donald Trump and Azerbaijani President Ilham  Aliyev signed a joint declaration aimed at resolving the conflict  between Yerevan and Baku.