The Armenian Leadership Must Return to Its Commitment Fulfillment: Ruben Vardanyan

Armenia's former state minister Ruben Vardanyan writes on his Facebook page: 'The negotiations between Baku and Stepanakert cannot proceed under conditions where the agenda is already predetermined and set based on the wishes of one party, moreover, this has been effectively confirmed by the authorities of Armenia. This is despite the fact that there is no discussion regarding the importance and necessity of providing international mechanisms for the negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Baku-Stepanakert talks should take place with the participation of a third party. The Armenian leadership must change its position and return to fulfilling its obligations enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. And we must force them to change their approach to this issue.

Before entering negotiations, there should be a clearly articulated position, agenda, and a prepared negotiating team, so that the other party understands that you are one of the parties to the negotiations. It is impossible to talk about negotiations under conditions where one party continues to hold a gun to your head, while you insist, 'Let’s negotiate.' In such a case, you should say, 'Put your gun aside, and then we will talk.'

We need a unified will. If there is will, resources and competent people will also be found, and many allies and supporters will stand by us from all over the world. Looking back at our millennia-old history, one can be surprised at why we are so simplistic—either West or East, or Russia. However, we should work with all sides and maximize this cooperation and allied relations in favor of our own state interests. That is the formula for success,' he wrote.