I Promised to Write Without Hiding Anything About What Was Discussed at the Meeting Dedicated to Artsakh: Safaryan

The President of the Public Council, political scientist Stepan Safaryan, writes on his Facebook page: "Good morning, dear Armenians, from beautiful, sunny Munich. I promised to write without hiding anything about what the organizers and participants of the Munich Security Conference, most of whom were present at the nighttime party, are discussing regarding Artsakh. I do this with pleasure, aware of several things, since the conference organizer Wolfgang Ischinger is our Agora founder, and all his founded companies (conference, consulting, lobbying, business) form a significant empire.

In previous years, they have always wanted to organize a discussion involving Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, but Sargsyan did not agree. Aliyev also hinted at the rejection of the discussion in Davos, but this is also relevant to Munich, as my friends Benedict, Jean-Pierre, and Tim were dealing with it, and I was involved in some matters, transmitting messages through me... Do not rush to criticize Serzh Sargsyan. In fact, any discussion of this kind at a conference will always be a show, and both Sargsyan and Nikol Pashinyan knew that before coming, I assure you... Pashinyan simply knew/knows what he and Armenia got out of it. And what they got, do not doubt it. The previous authorities sense it vaguely but do not know exactly what it is, and believe me, they criticize because of that. They also feel heavy that Serzh Sargsyan did not accept that proposal while Nikol Pashinyan boldly accepted it...

The only comment I heard was from my Russian colleagues, who hinted at Pashinyan’s English, although they acknowledged that his speech and messages were quite understandable. But the Russians also have their complexes (oh, the English was rather poor), which does not exist in the West, and no one cares about that. One important thing in this show was how and where Pashinyan sets the bar for the Armenian side. For me, the most crucial thing is that he made no mistake in this field regarding Aliyev and the international community, not begging for territories in exchange for the status of Artsakh, which the former ones did, unwittingly making themselves and Artsakh Aliyev’s hostages. It was important that Pashinyan hinted at our tasks, either in case of renewed war—if anyone thinks the problem has a military solution, then we have solved the issue. This kind of statement resonated deeply with me, and Pashinyan needs to develop this further and open it up more; this is a formula with immense power for establishing peace.

Everything else that remains should be wrapped up because it is needed only as material for discussion among our audiences. And I would advise not to turn such debates into the importance of the battles of Avarayr or Sardarapat. It was essential for Armenia to present itself from the position of a worthy, victorious state, and that was achieved quite sufficiently, without falling asleep or swallowing insults around the table, which Pashinyan did. Could it have been better or perfect? Of course, it could, and I am confident it will be. There are still many similar opportunities ahead, where he will present himself much better, I am sure. The important thing is Pashinyan’s courage and sincerity, which no one can fail to appreciate.

Thus, they are happy in Munich that after years of experience, they finally succeeded in putting such a discussion on the agenda, and that will be valued. It will be especially appreciated that Pashinyan agreed because this did not happen before him, and now he made it a reality by agreeing and coming to Munich. What is crucial is Pashinyan's and Armenia's gains beyond this, which will be significant. And I know a little about what it is, but I won’t say."