Armenia unclear about unblocking of regional communications – Turkologist
Only one person in Armenia possesses details about the proposed plan for the unblocking regional communications, and that person is Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, an expert in Turkish studies said Monday, highlighting the unclear wording of the November 9 ceasefire on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
In an interview with Tert.am Andranik Ispiryan cited the statement by Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructures, saying that Azerbaijan “has already embarked” on the construction of the highway connecting its country to Nakhichevan (intending to complete the development activities “within the shortest possible timeframes”).
“Nikol Pashhinayn has not so far given explanations in that regard. We are neither aware of the timeframes nor have any information at all as to what infrastructures the unblocking in question implies, i.e. – whether it is going to be a corridor or a transit route. Very controversial statements are being made,” he noted.
In his address, the Turkish minister also stressed the necessity of “modernizing the railways” of Nakhichevan to later start the development of a direct communication route from Azerbaijan, thereby ensuring also that country's direct railway communication with Turkey (instead of the Georgian transit route).
Ispiryan described the statement as “very strange and absolutely absurd for Armenia”. “What does a direct communication between Azerbaijan and Turkey virtually imply? There is Armenia in the middle after all. That is to say, we need clarifications, i.e. - answers which are known only to the current authorities in the person of the prime minister. All our interpretations, whatever their content, will be imperfect and based on assumptions,” Ispiryan added.
Neither did he agree that Turkey is making any haste by planning the construction activities now.
“We know practically nothing about the agreement. We do not know whether or not there are any timeframes. Armenia has entered into a pre-election period and is now simply avoiding any reference to the timeframes for fear of a mounting wave of protests against the authorities,” he said, citing also Pashinyan’s earlier statement promising Armenia a highway corridor with Nakhichevan.
“That is to say, he did not rule it out either as his attitude turned out absolutely normal to those processes. If they have started route development in Turkey and Azerbaijan, there must certainly be an arrangement. It’s not just a statement as serious activities are currently underway,” the expert added.
Meantime he stressed the need for very serious studies to evaluate the risks stemming from the possible opening of borders (with both Turkey and Azerbaijan). The expert noted that similar analyses, conducted in 2008-2009 (after Armenia initiated a reconciliation process), revealed an imminent moral-psychological pressure and economic disadvantages for Armenia.
“Now that government institutions are not functioning properly after the war, with all being preoccupied with securing their victory in the elections – instead of public administration processes – we are in a worse situation than about 13 years ago,” he said.
Addressing the economic challenges for Armenia, Ispiryan did not rule out an economic expansion threatening the domestic greenhouse industries (in case Turkey imports a large amount of tomatoes).
“In case of having open borders, the Turkish capital will intrude into Armenia, and they will gain a political influence. In case of open borders, the capital may be insured. And the available capital will facilitate the political lobbying, which may be a national security issue for us,” he said, noting that both the Armenian Police and border troops of the National Security Service will be facing a heavier overload in that case.
“We are not prepared for opening borders. It is normal, of course, when to have open borders between to countries, but it has to be done in a reasonable way; we must be prepared for virtually any scenario,” he said, warning of the “much dimmer prospects” in case of the opening of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
“When we see them [the Azerbaijanis] steal sheep in Syunik, refuse to return our captived and open a military trophies park in Baku to later take their schoolchildren there to make fun of the Armenian captives’ scarecrows, I do not understand the kind of friendship which our authorities propose.”
The expert also criticized the current Armenian authorities’ non-professional attitudes and approaches, stressing the need of hiring competent advisors to prepare the society and the government institutions for the possible opening (if it is really going to be inevitable).
“It has always been easy for me to make approximate estimates, and I, more often than not, proved to be right. Yet with the November 9 agreement in place, any estimate which we can possibly make will be the result of imagination, as we know absolutely nothing about the terms,” Ispiryan added.
Videos
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
- 15:20 • 24.05.21 Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
- 11:39 • 24.04.21 Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
- 09:40 • 23.04.21 Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
- 15:34 • 22.04.21 Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
- 14:09 • 21.04.21 'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
- 12:37 • 03.04.21 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
- 17:33 • 11.03.21 Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
- 17:57 • 26.01.21 Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
- 13:33 • 22.01.21 Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
- 09:42 • 29.12.20 UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
- 18:41 • 24.12.20 NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
- 13:33 • 31.10.20 Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
- 16:37 • 30.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
- 11:25 • 28.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
- 13:45 • 24.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
- 11:51 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
- 11:40 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
- 10:39 • 24.10.20 Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
- 12:41 • 23.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
- 12:16 • 23.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
- 12:02 • 22.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
- 10:35 • 22.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
- 10:51 • 17.10.20 Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
- 15:09 • 15.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
- 13:13 • 13.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
- 12:56 • 12.10.20 Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
- 12:23 • 12.10.20 Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
- 17:23 • 09.10.20 Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
- 15:53 • 09.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
- 14:11 • 09.10.20 Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
- 15:52 • 08.10.20 Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
- 10:57 • 08.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
- 14:24 • 07.10.20 War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
- 19:31 • 05.10.20 Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
- 16:17 • 04.10.20 Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
- 12:39 • 04.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
- 13:49 • 03.10.20 Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
- 10:12 • 29.09.20 ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
- 23:42 • 28.09.20 There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
- 18:45 • 28.09.20 EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
-
Politics 10:36 • 13/11 Musk and Ramaswamy will head Department of Government Efficiency, Fox News host to head Pentagon Presidentelect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration “Together, these two wond
-
Economy 12:16 • 08/11 Ucom and Sunchild NGO install another solar plant in Areni "Establishing sustainable energy sources is critical for community development, providing immediate economic benefits and demonstrating the importance of local solutions," said Sona Kalantaryan, Director of SunChild NGO.
-
Politics 10:36 • 13/11 Musk and Ramaswamy will head Department of Government Efficiency, Fox News host to head Pentagon Presidentelect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration “Together, these two wond
Economy
-
16:51 • 11.11.24 New features for Armeconombank’s Premium cardholders
-
12:16 • 08.11.24 Ucom and Sunchild NGO install another solar plant in Areni
Event
-
17:34 • 05.11.24 Ucom joins Armenian Internet Governance Forum as a platinum partner
Science/tech
-
14:18 • 08.05.24 AstraZeneca withdrawing Covid vaccine worldwide