Expert: Azerbaijan 'deeply concerned' over protest movement in Armenia
Azerbaijan is “deeply concerned” about the clergy-led protest movement in Armenia and its possible success, says Varuzhan Geghamyan, a geopolitical strategist and regional security expert.
The Tavush for the Homeland movement led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan opposes the Armenian government’s unilateral territorial concessions to Azerbaijan, demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation.
"Baku clearly realizes that if the movement succeeds, Armenia will reclaim its role as a key regional actor which will no longer bow to its demands and will be able to stop the Turkish-Azerbaijani advancement in the South Caucasus,” the expert wrote on Telegram on Friday.
“In turn, this means that Armenia will once again have states supporting its interests that can jointly change the balance of power to the detriment of the Turkish-Azerbaijani duo and their allies. That’s why Turkish and Azerbaijani media outlets have recently been criticizing the Holy Movement echoing the narratives promoted by the Armenian leadership,” Geghamyan said.
He shared an article by Report.az, a media outlet controlled by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's family, which expressed concern about the possible development of Armenia's allied relations with Iran and alleged Iran’s ties to the protest movement in Armenia.
“The article clearly states that if the movement succeeds, Armenia and Iran will jointly fight against the Turkish-Azerbaijani threat. And they get it right. We have a chance to win and stop this chain of defeats. Only a few days of efforts are required and the victory will be ours," the analyst added.