“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” carries an article by former President Levon Ter-Petrosian in which he again criticizes Armenia’s current leadership for officially pursuing Turkish recognition of the Armenia genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Ter-Petrosian says that a corresponding “pan-Armenian declaration” adopted by Armenian government and Diaspora leaders last month will only make Ankara toughen its position on not only the genocide issue but also the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “As a result of that, we would at best maintain the status quo with all of its negative consequences: economic decline, less investment, political isolation, more emigration and so on,” writes the leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK).
Ter-Petrosian goes on to reiterate his strong opposition to constitutional changes planned by President Serzh Sarkisian. He brands those plans a “new adventure” that threatens to “shake the foundations of Armenian statehood.”
“Zhamanak” accuses Russia of orchestrating the latest Azerbaijani incursion in Nagorno-Karabakh which left three Armenian soldiers dead. “In all likelihood, Russia is responding to Armenia’s disobedience through Azerbaijan,” alleges the paper. “This situation is raising questions related to boosting the level of border security and Armenia’s political behavior. What will Yerevan do? Will it retreat like it did in 2013? Or it will not bow to the blackmail and threats this time around?”
“Hraparak” echoes this conspiracy theory. “For now the Russian side has contented itself with reminding us that we have already made a choice in favor of the Eurasian Economic Union,” writes the paper. It claims that Moscow is capable of dealing much more serious blows to Armenia.
(Heghine Buniatian)