‘What Difference Would It Make If It Were A Different Name?’: Tevan Poghosyan on Ruben Rubinyan’s Appointment

In the context of negotiations for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, it is impossible for Armenia to carry out any pro-Armenian process, regardless of who represents the current authorities. This was stated by Tevan Poghosyan, the head of the International Center for Human Development and former advisor to the President of Armenia, in an interview with 24News.

It was announced last evening that the special representative from the Armenian side in the negotiations for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey will be Ruben Rubinyan, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.

“What difference would it make if it were a different name? The defeated authorities will bring new defeats. Whoever sits from Turkey will look and say, ‘Who is this person [the Armenian representative]?’ They won’t say, ‘Oh, a victorious authority.’ Perhaps Turkey has announced, ‘I am negotiating without preconditions.’ Our side says, ‘This word is missing, so it’s not happening.’ Overall, under the current circumstances, Armenian-Turkish negotiations will yield no results. We need to have a powerful mediator who will ensure that the agreements are upheld after any negotiations,” Poghosyan emphasized.

“Even in the early days, when we were victorious [in the war], were agreements signed in Zurich without preconditions? You saw, didn’t you, that they started talking, and then under pressure, because there were mediators involved in that process, they were made to sign at least there [in Zurich] without any statements. But still, there was no result. Now imagine, without any mediators, what will happen. Regarding Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, one day they say, ‘There was no verbal agreement,’ and then they say, ‘There was,’ then there was some kind of understanding, I don’t know what it was, then they say this wasn’t said, then Aliyev announces, ‘There will be a corridor,’ then he announces this, then that. It's clear, isn’t it? And a similar process will occur in Armenian-Turkish negotiations. Who will be the mediator that will stand for Armenian interests, who will ensure that this topic was raised in the negotiations room?” the political scientist added.

Poghosyan cited the negotiations mediated by Russia with Azerbaijan as an example of ineffective negotiations. “Now take as an example the discussions at the level of deputy prime ministers mediated by Russia. This is still Azerbaijan; it’s not the level of Turkey. The Armenian authorities say, ‘There is no corridor, there is no corridor logic, none of this exists, none of that exists,’ but Aliyev is discussing a corridor and has just brought a new condition, saying, ‘It should be like the Lachin corridor.’ This is the state of the process with Azerbaijan; what are we going to do with Turkey? Under the current conditions, it is impossible for Armenia to carry out any pro-Armenian process, especially with this government,” concluded the head of the International Center for Human Development.