It is tragic that the people who governed Armenia for decades have turned the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict into a domestic feud — as if Azerbaijan had never existed in it, and no threats had ever come from its side. This was stated by Azerbaijan expert Tatevik Hayrapetyan, commenting on the mutual accusations exchanged by Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, and Nikol Pashinyan regarding the 44-day war.
According to Hayrapetyan, while Armenia’s current and former leaders are busy blaming each other, Azerbaijan continues to spread propaganda of “hatred, hostility, and expansionism.” She reminded that the Azerbaijani president has repeatedly declared publicly that he “waited seventeen years for the day the war would resume” and deliberately rejected all peaceful settlement options.
“It was Aliyev who unleashed that war, and denying this fact is absurd. Unfortunately, our politicians, through their internal disputes, are effectively absolving him of responsibility,” she said.
Hayrapetyan believes that the ongoing blame game between past and present authorities is “directly harmful to the state,” as it diverts attention from real issues such as security, army modernization, and the restoration of diplomatic standing. She stressed that diplomacy and the military must develop in parallel: a strong army reinforces diplomacy, and stable diplomacy strengthens national defense.
“In the 1990s, we achieved victory on the battlefield, but it was not followed by adequate development of the army and the political system. If the army is not brought up to modern standards, the enemy will always believe it can win,” Hayrapetyan said. According to her, Azerbaijan has for years systematically strengthened its armed forces and invested heavily in psychological and information warfare, while Armenia has left these processes incomplete.
“Aliyev openly says that war was the purpose of his life, and we are still debating who provoked it. That is no way to govern a state. Every word, every public statement can later be used against Armenia,” Hayrapetyan concluded, adding that the country is now at a stage where “healthy discussion and shared responsibility are essential — not an endless cycle of mutual blame.”