Armen Ashotyan: We should not expect anything serious from Brussels meeting
Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashotyan believes that the statement adopted following the trilateral talks in Sochi on Friday does not contain a “single provision”, which is in Armenia's interests.
In a public post on Facebook on Saturday, he weighed in on what could be expected from the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Brussels in the margins of the Eastern Partnership Summit.
"1. As I predicted, Moscow did not miss the role of the first fiddle and organized its own meeting before the Brussels meeting.
2. The Russian president's statement about the Brussels meeting shows that Russia's position in the region is so strong, that there's no sense to make a “scene of jealousy”.
3. We should not expect anything serious from the European meeting, let alone any favorable results for Armenia. The key issues – border delimitation and communication – have already been discussed in Sochi.
4. The EU has only one weapon that Russia does not have – "human rights and democracy” – which could be used for a tougher stance on Azerbaijan if it wanted to. However, on the one hand, the EU interests do not imply the use of the toolkit of sanctions against Aliyev, and on the other hand, such an issue has not been raised by the wretches representing Armenia for a year. If Nikol "has forgiven" Aliyev, why should Brussels “be more catholic than the Pope”.
5. Regardless of EU-Russia tensions, the interests of the two players still coincide here. Establishing stability and logistical opportunities in the South Caucasus are in line with the visions of both, for different reasons of course.
6. Turkey remains the "joker" in this game, with both Russia and the West seeking to finally get a hold on it.
7. The maximum that can happen as a result of the Brussels meeting is the release of several Armenian prisoners of war from Baku jails if Brussels realizes it and Yerevan pushes it ahead,” Ashotyan said.
“We should not be offended by the world. That is what they do to nations that have lost their dignity," he added.