A vivid proof that there was no deception: Aivazyan on Arsen Torosyan's statement

There was a chance to recognize the independence of Artsakh, what self-deception are we talking about? This was stated by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ara Aivazyan, in an interview with MediaHub.am, commenting on the active dissemination of a statement by Arsen Torosyan, a member of the Civil Contract faction, that there is no chance for recognizing Artsakh's independence and that there should be no self-deception.

The news outlet asked Aivazyan if this means that the public has been misled by officials, including foreign ministers, who have claimed that there are chances in that direction. “You know that the negotiation process was based on the principles of non-use of force, as well as the respect for territorial integrity and the right to self-determination. In other words, the entire process was aimed at eventually recognizing the people's right to self-determination in Artsakh. For that, the Armenian side was always involved in those negotiations. Our goal was for Azerbaijan to recognize the right to self-determination; if Azerbaijan accepted the Madrid Principles, it means that it to some extent accepted them,” he said.

The former foreign minister recalled that the President of Azerbaijan admitted that behind closed doors he was being pressured to recognize the independence of Artsakh. “So, there can be no talk of deception or self-deception here. Armenia has consistently done everything to prevent the negotiation process from failing; it was Azerbaijan that derailed the negotiation process and chose the path of using force. If during the diplomatic efforts, both Azerbaijan and the international community accepted that the recognition of the right to self-determination is also within the principles of negotiations, then we had made significant progress. The opportunity existed, and I want to remind you again: the President of Azerbaijan said that he was being forced behind closed doors to recognize the independence of Artsakh. Is there a more vivid proof that there was no deception?” he said.

Regarding the question of whether Armenia should also accept the independence of Artsakh, Ara Aivazyan said that this could have derailed the negotiations. “If you remember, during the war, the recognition process began in the parliaments of several countries. I reiterate, there is a chance for the recognition of independence,” he added.

The news outlet also inquired about the preparation of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. He emphasized that there is no content, and it is necessary to consider where the interests of the Armenian side lie.