The Minsk Group set up in 1992 to deal with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was for decades co-headed by the United States, Russia and France. It became essentially moribund after the three world powers stopped working together following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Azerbaijan has listed the group’s formal dissolution among its preconditions for signing a peace deal with Armenia.
Until last week, Pashinian linked that to the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. He said Baku should also stop to referring to much of modern-day Armenia’s territory as “Western Azerbaijan.”
Pashinian clearly softened his stance on Thursday two days after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made fresh threats of military action against Armenia. His office told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service at the weekend that Yerevan is now “considering the possibility of appealing to the OSCE regarding the dissolution of the Minsk Group.” The office did not specify whether this could be done before or after the possible signing of the treaty.
Tsovinar Vartanian, a parliament deputy from Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, also did not answer this question when she spoke to journalists on Monday. She said vaguely that “the decision will be made according to the situation” and that “there is no clarity at this moment.”
Artur Khachatrian, a Hayastan parliamentarian, insisted, meanwhile, that Pashinian has again bowed to Azerbaijani pressure and may well request the Minsk Group’s dissolution before Baku and Yerevan finalize the bilateral treaty.
“I don't rule out that he might say, ‘Well, we're getting close [to the deal] now; if that little thing is what is hampering us, then let's go for it,’” said Khachatrian.
The oppositionist argued that the Minsk Group was always tasked with facilitating a settlement on Karabakh.
“If Pashinian says that the real Armenia has nothing to do with Karabakh, what business does he have poking his nose into issues that concern Artsakh?” he said.