Pashinian responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Yerevan is free to choose between peace proposals made by Russia and the United States. Putin said on Thursday that unlike the Russian plan, the “Washington variant” of an Armenian-Azerbaijani treaty upholds Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh.
“In early September, Armenia agreed to work on the basis of the basic principles and parameters of establishing interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan presented by Russia, and it is ready to reaffirm this in Sochi,” tweeted Pashinian. “We hope that Russia will support its proposals.”
Putin is scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting with Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Sochi on Monday. The summit will underscore Russia’s efforts to regain the initiative in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiating process spearheaded by the United States and the European Union in recent months.
During those peace talks Armenia and Azerbaijan discussed a bilateral treaty that would commit them to recognizing each other’s territorial integrity. Pashinian and Aliyev reported major progress towards its signing after their last meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and EU chief Charles Michel on October 6.
Pashinian’s readiness to sign such a deal prompted has serious concern from the Armenian opposition and Karabakh’s leadership. They say that it would pave the way for the restoration of full Azerbaijani control over Karabakh.
Earlier on Thursday, leaders of two major Karabakh parties said that the Russian peace formula is far more beneficial for the Armenian side because it would indefinitely delay an agreement on Karabakh’s status. By contrast, they said, the Western-backed peace treaty would prevent the Karabakh Armenians from eventually exercising their right to self-determination.
Pashinian and his political allies have repeatedly stated that the treaty must make no reference to Karabakh.
Seyran Ohanian, the parliamentary leader of Armenia’s main opposition Hayastan alliance, on Friday voiced support for the Russian proposal. Ohanian was unconvinced by Pashinian’s assurances made in response to Putin’s statement.
“Since the Russian proposal notes that conditions will be created for deciding the future of Karabakh, we are definitely in favor of discussing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in the format of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said. “We must stay away from Washington’s format because if we sign it Artsakh will definitely end up under Azerbaijani control.”
Gegham Manukian, another senior member of Hayastan, made a similar point. He also pointed to the presence of 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops in Karabakh.
“Unfortunately, in this situation the sole guarantors of the security of the Artsakh Armenians are the Artsakh Armenians themselves and, more importantly, the Russian peacekeeping forces,” Manukian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “With their actions, negotiated agreements and public statements, the Armenian authorities are throwing the Artsakh Armenians into the arms of Azerbaijan.”