Astana declaration could have been worse: Giro Manoyan

The declaration adopted by the OSCE state leaders in Astana might have been even worse, according to Giro Manoyan, Head of ARF-D Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office.

"Turkey might have used the Armenia-Turkey protocols as a tool of pressure for extorting some document it might consider satisfactory for ratifying the protocols," he told journalists on Friday.

"The declaration is good in as much as it isn't bad," Manoyan said, adding that the fact of signing a document enabling parties to continue the talks is already a positive sign.

He added that Azerbaijan's current stance, however, shows the process is partially dead.

"I think we should expect active propaganda and, most probably, military operations from Azerbaijan in the coming weeks or months, and I believe the mediators will be very strict to that. But strictness here is restricted to statements," he added.
Manoyan also spoke of the possibility of Armenia's policy in case Azerbaijan resumes the war.

He said that in case of a war, "we must unite with Karabakh immediately, not simply recognize it."