The primary issue in Armenia is widespread irresponsibility. No one is held accountable for their erroneous decisions, and until this approach changes, Armenia will not be able to fully recover. This view is held by political scientist Stepan Danielyan.
“In normal countries, state officials, ministries, or institutions are held accountable for their decisions and may even face legal consequences. Therefore, a thorough justification process is conducted before decisions are made. There are independent and state research centers tasked with conducting analyses, presenting development scenarios, proposals, and recommendations,” he noted.
According to Danielyan, these analyses are considered before making decisions, and if a problem arises, the grounds on which the decision was based are clearly demonstrated. “The people at the helm of our state, with their limited knowledge and experience, make fateful decisions. As a result, we have lost Artsakh, other territories, and are likely to lose more. Yet, the issue of accountability has never been raised. It is unclear on what basis these decisions were made,” he added.
In this context, Danielyan addressed the TRIPP project, particularly the discussions about transferring the road through Syunik to the United States under a long-term lease. “The Foreign Minister, together with their leadership, decides to lease Armenian territories for 99 years, with no clarity on who it is leased to, why, or what consequences it will have. Currently, there is talk of involving a third party, which could be Turkish or Israeli,” he said.
Danielyan emphasized that this decision could lead to new, more brutal wars, not only between Armenia and Azerbaijan but on a broader scale.
The political scientist also noted that the authorities have fallen into the trap of their own lies: “If peace has truly been achieved, why does Armenia continuously make unilateral concessions? Why did Washington state that it prevented a possible invasion of Armenia? If the authorities’ policy was truly bringing peace with Azerbaijan, why are military exercises being conducted on both sides of Syunik, and why is Iran deploying troops? This shows that there is no peace. Armenia is merely begging for peace from other countries,” Danielyan stressed.
He also pointed out that talking about a “peace treaty” is incorrect and creates legal traps for Armenia. “A peace treaty is signed only when there has been an official war. Armenia and Azerbaijan have not declared war on each other de jure. Therefore, the discussion should be about an agreement to establish relations, not about peace. However, claims of peace sound ‘louder’ and are actively used to manipulate the domestic audience, creating a false choice between peace and war. These domestic political manipulations could come at a high cost for Armenia. The authorities are turning Armenia into a de jure capitulated country by using the term ‘peace treaty,’” he summarized.
Danielyan is convinced that the current ruling team is either unprepared to govern the country or simply following instructions received from abroad. “These people are leading Armenia into a trap,” he concluded.