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What is the main problem facing Armenia now? What steps should Armenia’s authorities take to avoid new and dangerous conflicts and shocks? These and other issues were discussed at a roundtable on "Security Architecture in the South Caucasus: Current Realities and Possible Trends" held in Yerevan on Saturday.

The meeting was organized by the International Humanitarian Development NGO.

Integration and Development NGO head Aram Safaryan states the geopolitical confrontation between the West and Russia has not subsided, which requires huge efforts from both sides and determines the global developments, including those in the South Caucasus. He states the West is striving to strengthen its influence in all three countries of the region.

"It is important to understand that there are no disagreements between Russia and the West regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the approach that the settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be based on the Madrid Principles is acceptable to both sides. But there are differences about who and how should further this process. In the current situation, it is important for our country not to become an arena of geopolitical conflict," he said.

Safaryan believes Armenia should strive not to lose its allies and try to find the necessary resources to bolster its positions. “It is also important to realize that the creation of the North-South corridor will undoubtedly benefit Armenia and strengthen our country. Also, to avoid steps that could undermine Armenia's friendly and allied relations with Russia is crucial,” he stressed.

Media expert Tigran Kocharyan recalled John Bolton’s “dangerous” remarks during his 2018 trip to Armenia when he urged Armenia to renounce “historical clichés” in its international relations, offering controversial solutions to sensitive issues like arms sales, which, he states, marked the start of the “anti-Russian policy pursued by the incumbent Armenian authorities.”

“The West now seeks to solve two tasks: instilling distrust among the population of Artsakh towards Russian peacekeepers, and forcing Armenia to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which Pashinyan has been doing since the Prague meeting. Unfortunately, after Bolton's visit to Yerevan, the Armenian leadership has been carrying out the West's orders about Artsakh and Turkey,” he claimed.

Political analyst Arman Ghukasyan states that Armenia “has no time to hesitate because the region has turned into an arena where new players have emerged, trying to impose new rules of the game in an effort to make Russia descend into a chaos.”