Not everyone in Armenia welcomed Mustafayev

The visit to Armenia of the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, was not unanimously welcomed in Yerevan

In an interview with news.am,  Artur Khachatryan, a member of the opposition Hayastan faction,  said the timing of the visit was not coincidental.

The MP reaffirmed the opposition's thesis that Nikol Pashinyan, who lacks internal legitimacy and popular support, has placed his hopes on Azerbaijan. According to Khachatryan, the main propaganda line of the authorities is that peace has already been established, and if Pashinyan is not in power, war will break out.

According to the opposition figure, in the current situation, the Armenian authorities need Azerbaijan to confirm this claim. The MP emphasized that the purpose of Mustafayev's visit is to show that peace has allegedly been established between Yerevan and Baku.

"Baku is doing this because it is well aware that as soon as Pashinyan leaves and a new government is formed in Armenia, the latter, unlike Pashinyan, will stand up for national interests and will not carry out Azerbaijan's instructions. The purpose of Mustafayev's visit is to show that everything is in order, and as long as Pashinyan is in power, relations will be normal. However, Baku is not doing this for nothing. In exchange for their support, they will take something from the Armenian authorities,"

Khachatryan suggested that the demands to extract new concessions from Armenia may relate to the demarcation, since Mustafayev is the Azerbaijani co-chair of the relevant commission. "I think Mustafayev will insist that the demarcation be carried out along the route where the pan-Turkist corridor will pass. The authorities should not hope that the demarcation, for example, will begin from Jermuk or the northwest, as stated in the regulations of the bilateral working group," the MP emphasized.

Artur Khachatryan also noted that Mustafayev also met with businessmen. According to the MP, this may be done to create the illusion that the establishment of normal relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will open up new business opportunities. “And by ‘normal relations’, Azerbaijan understands Armenia’s unconditional acceptance of its conditions,” the opposition figure concluded.

source: commonspace.eu with news.am (Yerevan)

photo: Shahin Mustafayev (archive picture)

 

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Van der Leyen to Pashinyan "You can count on us"

Van der Leyen to Pashinyan "You can count on us"

The president of the European Commission, Ursual von der Leyen, on Thursday (2 July) made a short visit to the Armenian Capital, Yerevan, during which she met the Armenian leader, Nicol Pashinyan. This was Van der Leyen's second visit to Armenia in as many months. During the visit the President of the European Commission reiterated Europe's support for Pashinyan and his government, following the recent elections: On 7 June, the people of Armenia spoke clearly. They chose democracy. The rule of law. They chose reform and peace. They chose an open, welcoming, and inclusive society. And they chose to partner with the European Union. And together, we must now turn their aspirations into results. You can count on us.  Speaking ata joint press conference after her meeting, Van der Leyen said: "First of all, I want to congratulate you on your electoral victory. These elections have shown, once again, the strength of Armenia's democracy. The spirit of the Velvet Revolution which you led in 2018 is alive and well. Armenia is carrying on the path of democracy, reform, peace, and of a closer partnership with Europe. And I am here to tell you: you can count on us. While Armenia is coming closer to the EU, the South Caucasus is coming closer together. The initialling of the peace agreement last year was a history-making moment. The most consequential step this region has taken in decades. The same goes for the continued normalisation of relations with Türkiye. These decisions required political courage and leadership. And I know their rewards will be immense. Opening borders will transform Armenia's economic future. And it will anchor Armenia at the heart of one of the world's most strategic crossroads. We will stand by you to turn this vision into reality." (click image to read more)

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)