Foreign Minister to Resign Soon, 168 Hours

According to reports from 168.am, Ara Ayvazyan, appointed as Armenia's Foreign Minister on November 18, 2020, following the second war in Artsakh and the resignation of Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, is set to resign from this position in the near future. He is expected to be replaced by Deputy Foreign Minister Artak Apitonyan.

Sources indicate that there are significant political disagreements between Ara Ayvazyan and the Armenian authorities, particularly regarding their policies and the culture of their implementation. Various officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have repeatedly issued statements during this period that were either uncoordinated with the Foreign Minister or contradict official foreign policy, creating issues for the diplomatic corps.

Interestingly, these disagreements began right at the start of Ayvazyan's tenure and particularly intensified following his visit to Moscow in December 2020, where Ayvazyan made quite stern statements about Turkey's destructive policies in the region and its role in the Artsakh conflict. Following this, it was reported that these comments had angered Pashinyan and sparked discussions between the two.

There have been numerous incidents over the past months concerning relations with Turkey and other regional countries, leading to continuous speculation about Ayvazyan's resignation, which he steadfastly denies.

One recent contentious episode appears to be related to an interview given by Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan to Public Television, during which he spoke about the necessity of making adjustments in relations with Turkey. In a session of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Ayvazyan responded to Grigoryan's claims, stating that the official position regarding foreign policy is voiced by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, implying that Grigoryan does not represent the official stance of Armenia.

The minister also emphasized that international recognition and condemnation of the genocide remain among the priorities of Armenian diplomacy, highlighting that Armenia continues to advocate for a prevention agenda against crimes against humanity.

He reminded that since independence, Armenia has initiated various efforts towards normalizing relations with Turkey, referring to the Zurich protocols and stressing the importance of reciprocity in relations. 'Our initiative for genuinely honest and unconditional normalization of relations was not reciprocated by Ankara. For genuine peace in our region, we expect Turkey to undergo serious radical changes in its aggressive policy towards Armenia and cease hostilities,' the minister noted.

Clearly, Ayvazyan is currently the only one within the government who speaks about relations with Turkey in a realistic and candid manner. Thus, his markedly different approaches regarding Turkey in the National Assembly today are not coincidental, indicating that he is preparing to depart.

Ayvazyan is perhaps not the only diplomat unable to adapt to the situation. Reports suggest that within the diplomatic corps, the situation is occasionally volatile due to various officials' statements or illogical decisions and appointments.

This information is reported by 168 Hours.