The period of accelerated Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization was not chosen by chance, stated diplomat Vaagn Melikyan. According to him, several factors contributed—from the advantageous positions of Armenia’s adversaries to… weather conditions.
“It may sound odd, but the heat and vacation period in Armenia also play a role. In such an environment, people become less engaged in political processes, and public life, so to speak, slows down. This calculation was undoubtedly taken into account,” he noted.
According to Melikyan, a “window of opportunity” opened, which Armenia’s adversaries—the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem—skillfully exploited. Any multilateral agreement, the diplomat emphasized, should be evaluated through the lens of what each side gained.
In his view, the United States acted as the primary broker of peace, bolstering Donald Trump’s image as a peacemaker and reinforcing the country’s role as a “global policeman.” It is no coincidence, he added, that this is happening shortly before Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska. While these processes are formally parallel, they inevitably intersect, as the region, in a broader sense, lies within the sphere of interests of both Washington and Moscow.
Azerbaijan, according to Melikyan, operated with maximum institutional efficiency and secured significant advantages. These include the initiative to dissolve the Minsk Group, the repeal of Section 907, which opened the door to military cooperation with the U.S., and, finally, the long-sought unimpeded connection to Nakhchivan.
“But what Armenia gained is a big question,” the diplomat concluded.