Opposition politician blames Pashinyan for Artsakh 'catastrophe'

Opposition politician Eduard Sharmazanov, Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of bringing “disaster” to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), contrasting his record with that of former President Serzh Sargsyan’s negotiation policy.

In a social media post on Monday, Sharmazanov said that between 2008 and 2018, Sargsyan’s government had negotiated for the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh to be determined through a legally binding referendum, effectively paving the way for international recognition of its independence.

He noted that from 2009 to 2013, the presidents of the United States, Russia and France – the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs – issued five joint statements reaffirming the right of the Artsakh people to self-determination.

Sharmazanov said the negotiation framework at the time envisioned Armenian control of Lachin and Kelbajar (Karvachar) districts until a referendum was held, while Armenian forces would withdraw from five other regions and international peacekeepers would be deployed, avoiding war.

He cited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s 2020 post-war remark that “Kelbajar should have remained under Armenian control” as confirmation of that framework.

“Compare what Serzh Sargsyan negotiated to the catastrophe brought by Pashinyan – the loss of Artsakh, thousands of casualties, the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians, the surrender of Tavush territories and the occupation of 240 square kilometers of sovereign Armenian lands by Azerbaijani forces,” Sharmazanov wrote.