"Pativ unem" Faction Slams Peace Declaration as "Capitulatory"

The "Pativ unem" faction has issued a statement, which reads:

The draft statement of the National Assembly "On the Establishment of Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan" is a document on geopolitical adventurism, unilateral concessions, bargaining of national interests, and an uncertain future, the circulation of which in the National Assembly aims to direct a new batch of disinformation, empty promises, and the sale of hope to the public.

The conception of this statement is very strange at a stage when the President of Azerbaijan continues to act and speak from a position of strength, labeling Armenia as an aggressor and a war criminal, which contradicts not only the agenda of real peace but also the principles voiced by the Armenian authorities regarding the negotiations.

At the same time, it should be emphasized that there is a disconnect between the published texts of the Washington agreements and the actual political processes, one of the manifestations of which is the contradiction between the statements of the head of the ruling force and the US President.

As for the specific Washington agreements, on the basis of which the draft statement of the National Assembly was prepared, we reaffirm our previously stated position on this matter:

"We are deeply concerned about the trilateral memorandum signed in Washington, viewing it as another dangerous (capitulatory) document signed by the rulers of Armenia under the pressure of Azerbaijani aggression, unilateral demands, and geopolitical processes.

Highly appreciating the peacemaking efforts of US President Donald Trump, it should be noted that by signing this agreement, the adventurous rulers of the Republic of Armenia are putting Armenia's sovereignty to a dangerous test, as well as sacrificing the rights of the people of Artsakh, legitimizing the fact of ethnic cleansing and dispossession carried out by the Baku regime in Artsakh.

In particular,

The memorandum expresses exclusively the interests of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and countries guided by geopolitical contradictions in the South Caucasus, at the expense of Armenia's vital security interests.

The memorandum has ignored the mandatory demand for the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the occupied territories of the Republic of Armenia.

The memorandum does not stipulate any obligation to release the illegally detained Armenian prisoners and the military-political leaders of Artsakh held in Baku prisons.

Instead of real international guarantees of Armenia's border inviolability, security, and territorial integrity, the agreement contains vague and unaddressed promises.

The memorandum lacks provisions on the protection of the property, cultural, and spiritual heritage of the Artsakh Armenians, as well as their political rights.

Armenia's agreement to the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, the only internationally recognized negotiation format, is an unacceptable retreat from the known principles of conflict settlement, which is a consequence of the obvious pressure exerted by Azerbaijan on official Yerevan, and an international justification for the forced displacement of the Artsakh Armenians.

The unilateral blow dealt by the Pashinyan administration to the Armenian-Russian allied relations, without ensuring realistic alternatives, violates the military-political balance, which is fraught with new threats and challenges for the state.

Like other important documents, the content of this memorandum has been hidden from the citizens of the Republic of Armenia and the National Assembly. Decisions of vital importance cannot be made by a regime that lacks legitimacy within the country.

There is no doubt that the current developments are the result of the morbid, anti-state, and anti-popular obsession of the ruling regime in Armenia and its leader to reproduce themselves at any cost, including by trampling on national and state interests and through geopolitical adventurism.

Under such conditions, any document regulating Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, including the "Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan," cannot contribute to the establishment of a stable and just peace. It will also significantly limit the toolkit for ensuring the security and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia and will tie the hands of the country's foreign policy.

Clearly realizing the further challenges arising from this process and assessing the necessary actions in the current situation, we demand:

a) to make the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners and illegally detained persons arrested by Azerbaijan a priority on the agenda.

b) without any preconditions, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani armed forces from the occupied territories of the Republic of Armenia, without linking it to the uncertain process of demarcation.

c) to record the protection of the right of return of the Artsakh Armenians as an integral part of the process of stability and long-term peace in the region.

d) to establish legally binding international security guarantees and realistic mechanisms for ensuring the territorial integrity of Armenia, as well as the peaceful development and vital interests of our citizens.

Taking into account the above, we reject the modus operandi aimed at the next violation of Armenian interests through unilateral concessions, as a result of the political and diplomatic failures of the current rulers.

Real peace and long-term stability in the region require just, balanced, and mutually acceptable solutions, not residual results built on coercion and geopolitical trade and imposed.

Accepting peacefulness and the absolute sovereign operation of communication routes as a principle of the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia, we cannot accept the declaration of an unjust, imposed, and unguaranteed peace as a real solution to the current situation, especially when the vital rights of the Armenian people, territorial integrity, and the dignified stance befitting a sovereign statehood continue to be violated."