The Third Mistake Occurs After the Transfer of Artsakh: Kocharian

The transfer of Artsakh took place in two phases: the first phase was from 2018 to 2020, before the war, followed by the second phase from after the 2020 war until 2023. Today, during a press conference, Armenia's second president Robert Kocharian emphasized that this is the first time he is speaking on this topic since the transfer of Artsakh.

"This means that he is asking the co-chairs, 'Who are you? What have you been doing? What have you been busy with for 25 years?' I'm a guy from cinema, and I've come to negotiate whatever I want. The negotiation process was put into a deadlock, and then he claimed, 'Artsakh is Armenia and that's it.' If it's Armenia and that's it, then what else can we negotiate about? This, in essence, was a call to war," said Kocharian.

According to the second president, during that period, it seemed as though Prime Minister Pashinyan was the least diplomatic leader in history. "After losing the war, the least diplomatic Rambo turned into a geopolitical Gikur," Kocharian remarked.

He believes that there was a brilliant opportunity to accept the proposal from the co-chairs and initiate negotiations to avoid war. He emphasizes that the art of diplomacy is not about forcing a door open in the wall but rather seeking a door there; forgetting about this can lead to the outcomes we have received.

Kocharian added that Pashinyan thought he could engage in geopolitical games, but Russia is a country that cannot be underestimated to this degree. "Many are upset in our country about why Russia did not fulfill its obligations. Let's look through Russia's eyes: you can only stop what's happening through forceful intervention; otherwise, it's impossible. Whose forceful intervention? For Armenia, which at a crucial moment left you and went to the enemy's camp. Would any of you enter a battle for a friend who betrayed you? This was a fatal mistake, and we all paid the price with the loss of Artsakh," Kocharian declared.

In his opinion, the third mistake is currently happening: the world order is changing, and Armenia decided this is a suitable time to change the geopolitical vector. However, it remains unclear where the world is headed; the USA itself states that the world is becoming multipolar, and instability will continue until a new balance is formed globally.

"The United States considers that today they are no longer hegemonic and do not wish to be; it is very costly. And what is Armenia doing? They say, 'I am changing the geopolitical vector' and believe it is the right moment. I assert that this is the most dangerous moment," said Kocharian.

Summarizing the mistakes, the second president of Armenia notes that the authorities are characterized by short-sightedness, contempt for expert assessments, and arrogance.