Immediate Access to the Complete Draft of the Negotiated Document Is Required: Levon Barseghyan

Journalist Levon Barseghyan wrote on his Facebook page: On May 20, 2021, during a cabinet meeting, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that trilateral negotiations are underway among Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and preliminary agreements have been reached on several solutions that, according to Pashinyan, "fully correspond to Armenia's interests." Since the outbreak of the 2020 Artsakh war, and especially since November 9, Nikol Pashinyan and his party, the 'My Step' parliamentary faction, have not enjoyed the public trust they had gained from the 2018 parliamentary elections. The fact that just 2.5 years after the elections the country is undergoing political upheavals and is forced to initiate snap parliamentary elections is a testament to this.

Since the post-war period, the Armenian government and other state bodies have failed to provide accurate information to the public regarding the events occurring along the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line and the resolution of security issues, which has led to the spread of misinformation and fake news, making the public more vulnerable and justifiably deepening distrust toward state institutions and the ruling political force.

In light of the above, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan lacks any legitimacy to negotiate with external powers just one month before snap elections, without political consultations. Under the temporary government and the already dissolved National Assembly, Pashinyan cannot make fateful decisions for the Republic of Armenia or unilaterally assess their compliance with Armenia's interests, labeling them as "announcements" and thereby avoiding the proper legal process established for joining international treaties.

Moreover, we find it necessary to remind acting Prime Minister N. Pashinyan that according to Article 205 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, issues regarding changes to the territory of the Republic are resolved through a public referendum. If territorial concessions or any other agreements are carried out under duress, we also inform that agreements reached through coercing a state representative or through threats of force, as per Articles 51-52 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties ratified by the Republic of Armenia, are considered null and void.

In light of the above, we, the undersigned, demand that acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan IMMEDIATELY make the complete draft of the negotiated document available to the public.

Present information on the results concerning the problem of the armed forces of Azerbaijan invading Armenia after raising the issue before the CSTO and what actions have been taken by CSTO up to this point.

What steps have been taken to address issues arising from the Artsakh conflict post-war, including the release of captives in the contexts presented to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council? What actions have been taken to ensure the diversification of political and military partners, and what progress has been made on proposals for political and military support raised by several countries in favor of Armenia?

What steps are being taken to guarantee the safety and rights of the residents of border regions primarily, as well as to ensure the safety of the Republic of Armenia and its citizens?

The secret processes of foreign policy in the Republic of Armenia have repeatedly posed challenges for our state. This detrimental practice must be brought to an end, and henceforth, no government or political force should bypass the people and make fateful and irreversible decisions for the state based on narrow personal or group interests.

As for demarcation and delimitation, it can be considered legal only within the framework of legal processes established by international law involving UN and OSCE representatives.

Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center
“Community Consolidation and Support Center” NGO
“Yerevan Press Club” NGO
“Rights Protection Without Borders” NGO
Analytical Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation
“Peace Dialogue” NGO
Coalition Against Discrimination and for Equality
Open Society Foundations - Armenia
Helsinki Association for Human Rights NGO
Center for Research on Human Rights NGO
Center for Equality Rights Education NGO
Public Journalism Club
Media Initiatives Center
Women’s Resource Center NGO
Real World, Real People NGO
Human Rights House Yerevan NGO
Helsinki Civic Assembly Vanadzor Office