In Washington, Armenia and Azerbaijan have preliminarily signed a peace treaty, which, according to the agreement of the parties, has finally been published. While the authorities present this document as a historic opportunity to end the long-standing conflict, a number of experts warn that the treaty contains dangerous provisions that could undermine Armenia’s state and national interests. In their view, the “hidden mines” not only fail to ensure peace but may also create new threats to the country’s security.
According to the assessment of former Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan: “The process with Azerbaijan is primarily aimed at meeting Azerbaijani demands, while Azerbaijan has not abandoned its expansionist plans against Armenia. This was largely the focus of the negotiations in Washington.
The Armenian authorities failed to leverage the significant role of the United States in the interests of our state.
Below are facts demonstrating Azerbaijan’s far-from-peaceful intentions:
- Through fabricated “courts” for prisoners, Azerbaijan consistently propagates that Armenians are “savages and genocidaires,” “shameless vandals” with whom it is impossible to live peacefully and safely, thereby deepening state-sponsored racism and hatred toward Armenians. This fabricated “judicial process” creates grounds for aggression against Armenia, fostering motives for revenge in Azerbaijani society.
Thus, this “judicial process” should be viewed as a threat to Armenia’s security system, not merely an issue of prisoner release. The release of prisoners and prevention of these “courts” are of strategic importance for the peace process.
- Azerbaijan actively promotes in school and university curricula that all of Armenia is “Azerbaijani land” and that Armenians are settlers who artificially populated the South Caucasus and exterminated Azerbaijanis.
- The Azerbaijani authorities continue large-scale expansionist plans against Armenia, presenting our entire country as so-called “Western Azerbaijan” and attempting to erase Armenia’s history.
- They are doing everything to erase the rights of the people of Artsakh, who were subjected to complete deportation just two years ago, deprived of their ancestral lands, including issues of their return. This is an attempt to erase the atrocities against the Armenian people, the blockade of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the subsequent ethnic cleansing, and accountability for these actions.
- Azerbaijan considers most Armenian churches and monasteries as its cultural heritage and demands their return to Azerbaijan.
- Azerbaijan demands that countries supplying weapons to Armenia cancel these contracts, claiming that the weapons supplied to Armenia must be returned.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has significantly increased its military budget.
- The delimitation and demarcation of Armenia’s state borders are not planned, and it is unclear when they will occur. One thing is clear—Azerbaijani military personnel continue to entrench themselves on the sovereign territory of Armenia, near villages, cities, and roads, disrupting the peaceful life of the population (through mine-laying, shelling, etc.).
- The so-called draft peace treaty stipulates that the parties recognize each other’s sovereignty and do not interfere in internal affairs, but just a few days ago, the President of Azerbaijan, at a press conference in the United States, threateningly stated that Armenia must amend its Constitution (which is direct interference in the country’s internal affairs).
- The Azerbaijani authorities demand that Armenia withdraw complaints from international bodies, fully aware that these complaints document Azerbaijan’s crimes against the Armenian people and significantly weaken Azerbaijan’s position.
These are just some of the facts, and moreover, the Armenian authorities themselves have stated that no “document” can guarantee peace. It is strange that in recent days, artificial euphoria is being stirred up across the country, presenting themselves as the saviors of the nation.
This process raises more questions than it suggests peace.”