I Will Not Support Any Force, Be It Pro-Government or Truly Opposition: Mikael Minasian

In an interview with ArmNews, former Armenian Ambassador to the Vatican Mikael Minasian stated that he will not support any political force ahead of the upcoming elections, whether that force is pro-government or truly opposition. He emphasized, “I officially declare that I will never support any political force before these elections, whether they are pro-government—there are many, not just ‘My Step’—or truly opposition. None of my friends or allies will be on anyone’s list. If someone is on someone’s list, then they are neither my friend nor my ally in the broadest sense of the word. If I decide to participate in these elections, I will do it with my identity, my friends, and the people with whom I will bear direct responsibility, and yes, I will remove Nikol Pashinyan from power. Besides removing him, I will punish Nikol Pashinyan and prove to the world that he is an enemy of the Armenian people, a traitor, and a murderer. Secondly, the elections are an opportunity for all of us to show who is who,” said Minasian.

Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Minasian stated, “The defeat was a loss for everyone. Do you think the Artsakh issue has been resolved?” He noted that apart from Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, which practically does not exist, neither Iran nor Azerbaijan has gained anything from the events. “I foresee major problems for Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev cannot maintain power without a new war, and a new war cannot happen because, unlike before, when there were Armenian soldiers whom the international community tolerated occasionally, today there are Russian peacekeepers. What does he have? An unresolved issue and Russian armed forces,” he remarked.

Referring to Russia, Minasian mentioned that due to Nikol Pashinyan, an anti-Russian chaos is unfolding in Armenia that will destroy centuries-old Armenian-Russian friendship. He stressed that three decades of diplomatic work, including efforts from the Russian side, were rendered null and void in one day. “What did Armenia gain? What did Azerbaijan, Russia, the USA, and France gain? I speak of the co-chairs. The only one who benefited was the neo-Ottoman empire, which returned to the Caucasus. The ‘gain’ for Russia and Armenia was the return of the Ottomans to the Caucasus, and certainly also to Karabakh,” he stated.

Minasian further declared, “There is only one way to reconcile with the past: to accept the past.” He elaborated that if it were up to him, he would decide that all individuals responsible for causing death during the war, excluding those directly involved in betrayal, should be given a second chance. “The only thing that cannot be forgiven is direct betrayal. I confidently repeat that the defeat in the third Artsakh war is a consequence of betrayal, which has resulted in the deaths of boys who died, as has been mentioned many times, for nothing in their opinion; while, in our opinion, and the opinion of future generations, they died for their land, containing their blood. This blood obligates us to forgive everything unrelated to that blood,” he expressed.

When asked who should bear responsibility, Minasian stated that it is a cross covered with sacred blood—a burden and a responsibility that someone who does not want to dedicate their life to their country and their people is immediately deceiving. “I am not the person who confidently knows that I will be able to. It is an impossibly difficult task, but I am the person who will not deceive; I never deceive,” he concluded, adding that it is possible that on the day after the elections, the ballot boxes may be opened, revealing that Pashinyan received, for instance, 95 percent of the votes, meaning the people chose the past. “Is there a place for us in that past? Personally, I do not envision myself in the past. I envision myself everywhere—in prison, in a grave, where we all are today, but I do not envision myself in exile, disgraced as an Armenian citizen, and I do not see myself in the past. Therefore, I will fight for the future. The only reason I would want to participate in these elections is to provide people with an alternative, to give them the opportunity not to choose the past and to convince people that there is another option, which is the future. Will I find that much strength in myself? Honestly, it’s difficult because I understand that from that moment onwards, I have no option of return, but if I suddenly find that strength in myself, I will go to the end, even if 97 percent of the people choose the past; we will build a new country on the basis of that 3 percent, and Nikol Pashinyan has no alternative. Nikol Pashinyan will be punished,” he stated.