Azerbaijan not firing because it is getting all it wants from Armenia  - Robert Kocharyan 

ArmInfo.  Armenia did everything possible to force the Russians out of Nagorno-Karabakh. This was stated by Armenia's second president, Robert Kocharyan, in an interview with Channel 5, referring to the 44-day war and the mistakes made by the authorities during those days.

He recalled that the statement of November 9, 2020, also included the  signature of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which, among other  things, guaranteed security by deploying its peacekeepers. "The  Armenian side unilaterally refused to participate in this process,  announcing in Prague its recognition of the territorial integrity of  Azerbaijan, including Artsakh. What situation did this place Russia  in? This statement negated the mediation role of Armenia, among  others, and the presence of Russian peacekeepers became unclear,"  Kocharyan noted. The politician added that Armenia, following the  Prague statement of October 6, 2022, had been left in a precarious  situation by the presence of the Russian peacekeeping mission.  Kocharyan reiterated that the loss of Artsakh was a result of the  Prague statements. He also wondered where French President Emmanuel  Macron or EU Council President Charles Michel were now.

"I became very concerned, as the prospects for Artsakh were very  unclear. And when the so-called environmentalists blocked the road,  it became clear that this was a problem, that the road would be  completely closed, and Azerbaijan, realizing that Russia was focused  on the Ukrainian war, took advantage of this," he noted.

However, the second president was unable to answer the question of  how the Armenian prime minister was able to sell the "peace"  narrative to the public in the current reality. He said the biggest  shock for him was the outcome of the snap parliamentary elections of  2021. According to Kocharyan, back then, it was already obvious to  him that a new catastrophe was looming for Armenia. He added that  this is precisely what happened-the result: the loss of Artsakh and  part of Armenia's sovereign territory. "Why are they now so focused  on the peace narrative? Because they have nothing else to say. They  need to fetishize the peace narrative, claiming they are the only  force that brought peace, and that everything else is secondary.  And  this is coming from the man who unleashed the most terrible war,  under whose rule we suffered the most casualties, and who today is  trying to become a dove of peace. Meanwhile, the most peaceful years  for Armenia occurred during my presidency," he noted.

When asked whether he considered a return to Artsakh realistic,  Kocharyan expressed his belief that Armenian society needs to be  realistic, and that this means fighting within international  structures to secure the right of return for the people of Artsakh.  "If we remain in the situation that exists in Armenia today, of  course, we shouldn't hope for any success. Armenia must change. But  what's realistic is securing the right of return," added the second  president of Armenia.

Kocharyan also noted that the return of Artsakh residents to Artsakh  and the return of Azerbaijanis to Armenia are completely different  issues that cannot be weighed against each other. He said that in  such a case, we could raise the issue of the return of Armenians to  Azerbaijan. However, according to the politician, it is necessary to  return to the more fundamental issue, which is that Armenia cannot  have any hope or success if it continues to adhere to this policy.  "The question arises: what must we do to be taken seriously and for  our word to carry weight? First and foremost, Armenia must seriously  focus on its army- not to fight, but precisely to avoid fighting. A  combat-ready army is needed, first and foremost, to ensure peace, but  it's also needed for geopolitical partners. If you don't have a  combat-ready army, you will have geopolitical masters, and you will  become a consumer of security, paying a high price for it," Kocharyan  emphasized. According to him, this means you will become the one for  whom everything is decided.

At the same time, the politician is confident that Armenia's  potential lies not only in its 3 million people within the country,  but also in its diaspora and church, as it has a large network and  exists in other countries. "Our diaspora has enormous potential, if  we can harness it. But we are completely severing ties with the  diaspora and becoming enemies, splitting the church," he noted.

"Nikol Pashinyan harbors a tremendous amount of inner evil, and this  evil can't be contained within his body; it constantly spills out. He  must create conflict at every turn; he feeds on this conflict,  gaining a certain energy. This turmoil is a reflection of the human  species. If he remains in power, we will not have internal  stability," Kocharyan expressed his conviction.

At the same time, he noted that to ensure Armenia's geopolitical  stability, it is necessary to ensure stability and solidarity within  the country. Kocharyan added that people are tired of the conflicts  that are corroding our society from within. "The upcoming elections  are also important for this very reason. Will we elect a government  that will try to create this internal solidarity, or will we see a  continuation of this situation?  These evil-filled authorities must  not remain," the politician said.

At the same time, Kocharyan noted that he does not believe in a world  without any guarantee mechanisms.  "They're not shooting because  whatever Azerbaijan wants, Pashinyan will grant it without firing a  shot.  This peace depends entirely on the will of one man: if he  wants this peace to happen, it will happen; if he doesn't, it won't.  That's Azerbaijani President Aliyev. This is not peace," he said,  adding that, along with the document initialed in Washington, he also  proposed signing a document that would contain guarantee mechanisms  for this agreement. According to him, the optimal option would be for  the United States, Russia, and China to act as guarantors.