Armenia is on threshold of a big choice.The game is going to be over soon. It seems impossible to hold areas around the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region under occupation any longer.
The long-awaited establishment of relations with Turkey, which promised a way out of the isolation, is linked with a peace agreement and a compromise with Azerbaijan. In addition to Ankara’s warning of a breakdown of the process of normalizing ties with Yerevan, dissatisfied with the Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision, the compromise with Azerbaijan is of a concession nature.
A couple of days ago, Armenia’s former PM Grant Bagratyan rightly said that Armenia will have to ask about the conditions that it is now being offered.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting that "the ways to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has been identified and the principle of territorial integrity has been chosen as priority. This formula can be decisive for resolving the conflict."
Although the Armenian media tends to describe Azerbaijan’s statements as "products intended for domestic consumption,” today the situation is clearly different from all previous ones.
Stupidly alluding to the "Dutch syndrome," Armenians seem to forget their own life.
Azerbaijan's GDP grew 9.3 percent whereas Armenia saw plummeted with 16. 3 percent in 2009 and per capita income also varies greatly.
Who benefits from this confrontation? The question is addressed to an ordinary Armenian citizen who has lived without electricity and heating almost half of the 1990s. What have you achieved? Prosperity of the so-called "Artsakh" from where your relatives are running away? The region that you failed to recognize? The region due to which assistance from abroad for your children is blocked? Or is it just your national pastime to always suffer because of false myths?
The Armenian society needs to come to sober up; we live in the 21st century. Civilization requires a different and pragmatic approach. And a man has the right to live under human laws, the right to exist and live a normal life detached from the past.
Maybe that's enough? Perhaps it is high time we had a look at our common values that unite rather than divide us.
I have got the impression that the parties are close to understanding. Yerevan seems to try and pursue pragmatic policies. Armenia has realized the disastrous situation or has come to terms with it.
I am far from naive that a person’s character can change, but I believe in logic.
The Armenian side is aware of the situation in the country and understands the hopelessness when the country’s moribund economy and remittances from abroad are not longer able to sponsor Armenians’ ambitions.
So, Armenia is going to sign a peace agreement demanding concessions from Azerbaijan. Otherwise it will still face a weak economy, growing Azerbaijan, a need to open borders with Turkey and Moscow’s more loyal attitude towards Baku.
Is there another way out for Armenia? No. But there are forces that are obsessed with unrealistic ambitions. Today Sargsyan is under pressure from everywhere; the ex-president, Armenia’s Karabakh community, ANC etc.
It is not difficult to understand the metamorphosis that Yerevan has undergone. I would better call it pragmatism. It is also easy to imagine the situation in which Serzh Sargsyan is.
The former hawk has become a pragmatist. Jingoism will not accept it and wants another "hero." In the meantime, Robert Kocharian is staging a comeback. This is his chance to once again lead Armenia to the street or to court.
Let’s pay attention to ex-Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian’s rhetoric.
"Despite the fact that we were once members of one team and supporters of the same foreign policy, the current scenario of events has been a surprise for me ....The current policy of the authorities is 180 degrees different from the policies of the previous regime ...The current leadership has usurped the power ..."
You think he is telling the truth? Not at all! That is said by Robert Kocharian who longs for power. He wants to return thanks to the well-being of Armenian citizens who will have an opportunity of a large breakthrough both at personal and public level in a case of peace with Azerbaijan.
Nobody says Karabakh Armenians should be evicted. They will be given the highest autonomy. Why once again succumb to paranoia? Why miss a chance? Why follow Kocharian’s personal ambitions? We must live today and look to the future. Remember Kocharian’s words on genetic incompatibility between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Is such way of thinking a way out of the situation? Does it promise any benefit to your nation?
I believe you must chose pragmatism, even if it is forced.
K. Guluzade/Day.Az
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