Former Armenian FM on "Crossroads of Peace": Armenia is on the brink  of deciding whether it will be a subject or an object of regional  policy

ArmInfo.Today, Armenia is at a crossroads, choosing between the role of a subject and an  object of regional policy, between a strategy of recovery and development and a strategy of survival, according to Ara Ayvazian, former Foreign Minister of Armenia and founding member of the Pan-Armenian Council of Diplomats. 

Analyzing the government's "Crossroads of Peace" initiative, the  diplomat noted that the Armenian authorities present the project as a  strategic vision for the country's future, including opening up  communications, lifting the blockade, and turning Armenia into a  regional hub. In this regard, Ayvazian emphasized that although small  states benefit from open borders and economic interconnectedness,  policies are judged not by their fine intentions, but by the  conditions of their implementation. "Crossroads of Peace" implies  that Armenia should be the initiator and the regulator of all  processes, establishing rules, ensuring balance, and controlling  communications passing through its territory. However, the reality is  that Armenia is not the architect of a controlled crossroads, but a  state at a crossroads, with a changed balance of power around it and  a security system still reeling from the turmoil of war. The language  of the project speaks of possibilities, while reality dictates  limitations. "This contradiction requires a sober and clear  understanding," the former Armenian Foreign Minister emphasized.

He recalled that after the 44-day war of 2020, the balance of power  in the South Caucasus has changed fundamentally, and in 2023, the  Armenian presence in Artsakh practically ceased. At the same time, as  Ayvazian noted, Azerbaijan has further strengthened its position by  deepening its close strategic cooperation with Turkey. According to  him, in such circumstances, discussions about a "crossroads" requires  precise calculation and a clear understanding of reality.

"A crossroads implies not only a crossing of roads, but also complete  control over them, the ability to establish rules and clear  mechanisms for ensuring security. If a state lacks sufficient  institutional stability and a clear defense plan, the crossroads  turns into a transit zone where external forces determine the course  of major events," Ayvazian clarified.

The former Foreign Minister recalled that Armenia is currently  engaged in active negotiations on various international platforms,  including with the US and the EU, while simultaneously rethinking its  relations with Russia and its role in the Collective Security Treaty  Organization (CSTO). In this regard, Ayvazian noted  that, while  adjusting foreign policy is a natural and necessary process, it  cannot replace a clearly formulated national strategy.

"A peace treaty is important, but a document does not yet guarantee  systemic peace. Sustainable peace is built on legal norms, mutual  obligations, a balance of power, and reliable guarantees," Ayvazian  believes.

The diplomat cited the domestic situation as another important  factor. As Ayvazian noted, Armenia is facing a test of the quality of  its statehood, trying to answer the question of whether the country  is capable of building an institutional state where security,  diplomacy, and the economy are aligned within a unified strategic  framework. In this regard, he pointed out that demographic decline,  emigration, and social polarization are making the foundations of  state stability vulnerable. "A state that loses its human resources  and social cohesion cannot become a reliable regional center. The  contradiction is not between peace and war, but between illusion and  responsibility. Illusion is the belief that economic integration  alone will solve security issues. Responsibility, however, is the  realization that institutions must first be strengthened, defense  capability restored, and a clear national program formulated. Only  then can geographic location be transformed into a real advantage.  Today, Armenia is truly at a crossroads between the role of a subject  and an object of regional policy, between a strategy of recovery and  development and a strategy of survival," the former minister  emphasized.

With this understanding, Ayvazian noted, the Armenian people consider  the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, 2026. He  expressed his conviction that the upcoming elections will be about  the quality of the state, not about individuals, not about rhetoric,  but about strategy; not about promises of quick solutions, but about  long-term responsibility. "And it is our decisions that will  determine whether this crossroads becomes a point of collapse, where  external interests are realized at the expense of internal weakness,  or a point of a new beginning, where the state can control processes  and shape its own program.  These elections are not just another  political stage: they represent the boundary between illusions and  responsibility. It's about maturity. And the maturity of the state is  shaped by political will, effective and balanced institutions, and  informed public choice. The crossroads can become a symbol of peace  only if we ourselves decide which path to choose," Ayvazian  concluded.

Recall, at the end of October 2023, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan  presented the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative for the  first time at an international forum in Tbilisi. This project, in  essence, is the Armenian version of a project to unblock  communications in the region after the 44-day war in Artsakh.   Armenian authorities assure that this is one component of the process  of establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus, which, if  implemented, will allow Armenia to emerge from its isolation and  become a logistics hub in the region.