Armenia's foreign minister 'silent on purpose' – Karen Bekaryan

Armenia is now pursuing a kind of false political agenda not absolutely matching its direct interests, analyst Karen Bekaryan said in televised comments, evaluating the authorities' policy actions in the light of global and regional developments.

In his political observations during the broadcast Between the Lines (aired by ArmNews TV Channel), he called particularly attention to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's summit with the OSCE Minsk Group mission, noting that the meeting took place against the backdrop of the country's tension with Russia.

″What happens in a negotiation process evolving practically over any issue – at the hotspot between Russia and Turkey, for instance – may contain a certain constructive element, an extremely simple technology that broadens the negotiation frameworks, involving problems that encompase joint interests or a conflict of interests. Was this meeting a specific signal of an attempt to extend the problem also to the Karabakh conflict in the Russian-Turkish context?″

According to Bekaryan, a proper understanding of the fact should have prompted necessary actions that would also produce a visible impact.

″No need at all to state that everything is being arranged through diplomatic channels alone. If something that has been made public runs directly counter to your own interests, the contrary too, has to contain a public element. Otherwise, your interests lose a certain value to an extent.″

Notwithstanding the regional developments, Bekaryan said he also observes problems linked to the recently held summit.

″If the meeting was really initiated by the countries which act as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the fact itself gives much food for thought. Why [was preference given] especially to Turkey if that's a series of meetings that has to apply to all the MG member states?″ the analyst asked.  

In his words, the MG co-chairs should have proposed a specific condition to rule out any chances for Turkey or Azerbaijan to benefit from the negotiations. ″The Minsk Group countries did not have any arrangement with Turkey. They had no idea at all as to the diplomacy's reaction to developments of the kind. And even if they did and the Turkish side violated them, the Minsk Group should have reacted to that – under constraint by one of the parties (if not on its own initiative),″ Bekaryan said.

He further emphasized the Foreign Ministry's role as the responsible agency for responding to all concerns. Citing the earlier meetings held in a similar format, the analyst said he is under the impression that the Armenian foreign minister is now silent ″on purpose″.  

″Meetings of the kind were never followed by comments that would unneccesarily derail the negotiation process. I think the foreign minister does clearly see the difference himself. Attempts are being made to circumvent his nuances, including the fruits of his accomplishments or his own inaction,″ Belaryan added.