Your trusted source

In a televised interview in early 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made fresh threats against Armenia. However, the Armenian leadership responded inadequately, offering no substantive counterarguments. Political technologist Vigen Hakobyan shared his insights on the matter in an interview with Panorama.am on Tuesday.

Below are some key takeaways from his interview:

• Aliyev stated that he is satisfied with Clause 9 of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement (which calls for the unblocking of all economic and transport links in the region) for now, but emphasized that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has not fulfilled it as well. Naturally, his statements align with Russia's interests and also serve Turkey’s goals. While they may or may not benefit the United States, the fulfillment of this provision would serve the current ambitions of both Turkey and Azerbaijan at least for now.

• Since 2020, it has become clear that much of what Aliyev claims tends to come to fruition. In about 90% of cases, his statements are already coordinated with the Armenian government head. Thus, Aliyev’s recent remarks should not have come as a surprise to Nikol Pashinyan.

• This rhetoric is not new and has largely gone unchallenged. Aliyev’s foreign policy statements align with Pashinyan's domestic political ambitions. They provide him with an opportunity to neutralize his domestic political opponents.