This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/armenia by /u/Din0zavr on 2024-10-02 14:18:35+00:00.
I though the interview was very good, so used the Youtube auto-generated captions and chatgpt to get this transcript (Hence, mistakes may be present, I recommend to check with the original).
Interview: Reporter & Ararat Mirzoyan
Reporter: Good morning, and thank you for joining us today. This panel is titled Global Order and Democracy: A Map for the South Caucasus. My name is Anna, and I am the international editor at the German newspaper Tageszeitung. Please join me in welcoming our panelist this morning, Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia. Minister Mirzoyan has held this position since 2021. He was previously a Deputy Prime Minister from 2018 to 2019 and served two terms as a Member of Parliament. From 2019 to 2021, he was the President of the Armenian Parliament. Thank you for joining us.
Ararat Mirzoyan: Good morning, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here, and I am looking forward to an interesting discussion.
Reporter: Thank you, Minister. Let’s begin by discussing a recent development. Last night, Iran, a neighboring country to Armenia, fired more than a hundred rockets at Israel. Are you concerned that there could be a regional war, and what would be the implications for Armenia?
Ararat Mirzoyan: The first question is quite a tough one, I must confess. In Armenia, we strive to achieve peace in our region, despite the general geopolitical situation and the policies in the South Caucasus. We see other countries in the broader neighborhood striking each other with missiles, and of course, we are concerned. We cannot encourage or welcome any escalation. We can only hope that this conflict finds its settlement as soon as possible.
Reporter: Let’s narrow the focus to the conflict around the Nagorno-Karabakh region. A little over a year ago, following an offensive by Azerbaijan, more than 140,000 people were displaced and found refuge in Armenia. How has Armenia managed to accommodate this massive influx?
Ararat Mirzoyan: In terms of receiving the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, it was a huge challenge. I think for any government in the world, it would be a significant challenge to receive more than 100,000 refugees in just 2-3 days. We did our best to meet the immediate needs of these people, providing them shelter, food, and essential items. We appealed for assistance from the international community and appreciate the help we received. Now we are entering the next stage, which involves meeting midterm and long-term needs, such as housing and employment. If there is no opportunity for these people to return to their homes, our policy is to integrate them into the society of the Republic of Armenia, helping them find jobs and build new homes in Armenia.
Reporter: How has this development impacted your government’s efforts towards democratization in Armenia?
Ararat Mirzoyan: It’s not just the influx of refugees, but the roots of the issue itself. The attack by Azerbaijan happened in 2023, but the whole story began in 2020 when a war was launched against Nagorno-Karabakh. During the aftermath, Azerbaijani forces also entered sovereign Armenian territories. This created a serious internal crisis in Armenia. To address the situation, we decided to have snap parliamentary elections in 2021. Democracy was a key topic during the campaign. Fortunately, the political party advocating for democracy, my party, won the elections and formed the government. This showed that the citizens of Armenia support both the government’s peace agenda and the further democratization of the country.
Reporter: How have these developments affected the Armenian population’s stance towards Russia? Traditionally, Russia has been seen as Armenia’s protector but stood by during Azerbaijan's recent offensives. Has this pushed Armenians away from Russia and possibly towards Europe?
Ararat Mirzoyan: It’s no secret that there is a huge frustration in Armenian society regarding Russia’s response and alliance with Armenia. For decades, Armenians believed that if such a situation arose, Russia would help and protect us. However, people saw that this was not the case. After the 2020 war, Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh to ensure the security of the local population, but the mission did not work as expected. Moreover, when we had attacks on our internationally recognized borders, neither Russia nor our allies from the CSTO reacted as we expected. This created frustration, and now Armenians are considering other options. In terms of values, we have always been closer to the EU and Western countries, but in the context of security, people felt tied to Russia. With this security component gone, there is now more openness towards fully aligning with the European Union.
Reporter: Let’s discuss the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The negotiations have been ongoing for months but seem to be stuck. Where do you currently stand?
Ararat Mirzoyan: A lot of work has been done over the last two to three years, despite the challenges. Recently, we adopted the first-ever legal document between Armenia and Azerbaijan regulating the joint work of the respective border commissions. This document is based on the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, which recognized the former administrative borders between the Soviet Socialist Republics as internationally recognized borders. This is a significant achievement. However, there are still other issues to address. We have an almost finalized text of a peace treaty, but Azerbaijan is reluctant to sign it, introducing new preconditions each time. We believe that we can sign this comprehensive document and continue negotiating on remaining issues. Unfortunately, we don’t see the necessary political will from Azerbaijan.
Reporter: In November, Baku will host COP27. Do you think this event could accelerate the peace process?
Ararat Mirzoyan: I hope so. We supported Azerbaijan’s candidacy for hosting this event, and I believe there is an opportunity to close the chapter of conflict and open an era of peace and cooperation in our region. But the reality remains uncertain.
Reporter: Many Armenians are still worried about potential threats from Azerbaijan. How can you instill a sense of confidence that there will be a sustainable peace?
Ararat Mirzoyan: There are serious concerns that Azerbaijan has further military plans regarding Armenia. Unfortunately, I cannot give full confidence because I am not confident myself about Azerbaijan’s peaceful intentions. For example, they use narratives like "Western Azerbaijan," which encompasses almost the entire territory of Armenia. Although they assure us that it is not a territorial claim, the impression is otherwise.
Reporter: The EU has deployed a monitoring mission on the Armenian side of the border. What difference has this made?
Ararat Mirzoyan: The EU mission monitors the situation only from the Armenian side because Azerbaijan did not agree to have it on their side. Since its deployment, there hasn’t been any major escalation, so it works, and we appreciate the EU’s effort. There are also several other tools aimed at strengthening Armenia’s resilience and bringing the EU closer to Armenia.
Reporter: Could Armenia consider leaving the CSTO?
Ararat Mirzoyan: We have frozen our membership and do not intend to return to the previous form of relations. We do not see ourselves in an alliance that does not work.
Reporter: So, what prevents Armenia from formally leaving the CSTO?
Ararat Mirzoyan: I think all of us should be more careful. It’s not a big secret that stability should be a priority, and any processes that could potentially take place need to be well-calculated and managed. This includes risk management, among other considerations. It’s not a simple question.
Reporter: Armenia has had traditionally difficult relations with Turkey, but there has been a process of normalization. What is the current status?
Ararat Mirzoyan: There have been positive developments, such as diplomatic engagement and agreements. However, the border remains closed, and we do not yet have full diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, Turkey links the normalization process with the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
Reporter: How does Armenia see its path towards the EU?
Ararat Mirzoyan: We are right in the middle of the process of bringing Armenia and the EU closer. People in Armenia have European aspirations, and the question now is how the EU will respond to these aspirations.
Reporter: Thank you, Minister Mirzoyan, for this insightful discussion.