Edmon Marukyan: Draft peace treaty doesn't serve Armenia's interests

Former Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan, leader of the Bright Armenia Party, criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for agreeing to a version of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty that fails to serve Armenia’s national interests.

In a statement on Saturday, Marukyan said that while Pashinyan promises the treaty will fully address Azerbaijan’s concerns, he has not explained how it will safeguard Armenia’s or the Armenian people’s interests. “The few known clauses of the 'agreed-upon' draft agreement have already sparked widespread alarm,” he noted.

Marukyan described the current version of the treaty as a document that compromises Armenia’s sovereignty and was effectively dictated by Azerbaijan. He accused the Armenian government of attempting to portray the terms as favorable while, in reality, Baku continues to push for new concessions.

“The so-called peace treaty does not reflect our national and state interests,” Marukyan stated, vowing to renegotiate the agreement if there is a change of power.