When Will a Meeting with Erdoğan Take Place? Details from Pashinyan

“I do not agree with this perspective because we have not discussed any issues concerning the corridor logic, and we will not discuss it,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during an online press briefing, responding to the viewpoints expressed by opposition forces suggesting that Armenia, by entering negotiations with Turkey, has already accepted the prerequisites of the Turkish side, including the so-called provision of the ‘Zangezur corridor.’

“It is important for us to create and build a roadmap for transit routes. If it becomes clear that possible communications with Turkey can have a broader regional significance, this will be one of the primary issues on our agenda, for example, the opening of the Armenia-Turkey border and railway. Discussions are underway regarding the resumption of air communication, which we welcome, and we hope that mutual flights will actually begin. Our expectation is for the normalization of relations, but we must understand that we are dealing with a very complex issue that has many nuances, and there is a lot of emotional sentiment about this matter in Armenia. I joyfully noted that the discussion on perceptions of Armenian-Turkish relations in the concluding part of the previous press conference became the subject of a substantive discussion among the public, and there was an attempt to understand the essence of the problem,” Pashinyan added.

So, when will the first meeting of the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey take place? The Prime Minister stated that no meeting is currently scheduled. “I hope it will be scheduled as soon as possible. There will not be 2, 3, 4, or 5 meetings; it will be a very lengthy process. If concrete results are achieved after 4 or 5 meetings, that will be much better, but to expect that it will happen just like that would be exaggerated,” he noted.

Is there a possibility that, as a result of the negotiations, the Armenian side would abandon its demand for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide? In response to a question raised by a number of media outlets, Pashinyan remarked, “All the governments of the Republic of Armenia have stated that they are ready to normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions, which means that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide has never been a precondition for normalizing relations with Turkey; such a thing has never existed. We have clearly formulated our approach in the government’s program regarding the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”

Regarding whether the appointed special representative of Armenia for the Armenian-Turkish negotiations, Ruben Rubinyan, has the necessary capabilities to handle such a complex process, and whether there are concerns that the Armenian side could fail due to a lack of the negotiator’s experience, the Prime Minister emphasized that it is very important for the negotiator to be a member of the ruling political team. “This is a significant factor, and I believe that Mr. Rubinyan’s education, his political journey, and his considerable experience (it is very difficult to say that any member of our team lacks experience, as we have gone through trials in recent years that may well be trials of decades) are sufficient. On the other hand, I said that Mr. Rubinyan will not carry this out alone; a team will be formed from our diplomatic corps that will carry out the entire process. Mr. Rubinyan is the lead negotiator, but that does not mean that all of our experience will be disconnected from this,” Pashinyan remarked.

Is a meeting with Erdoğan planned? According to the Prime Minister, there is no such idea or agreement at the moment. “But if Mr. Rubinyan’s negotiations with his Turkish counterpart go well, and the process matures to that point, naturally, high-level and even highest-level meetings should follow if the process proceeds successfully, and this will certainly happen,” Pashinyan announced.