Armenian analyst says June 7 vote is 'civilizational choice' between statehood and 'Western Azerbaijan'

Voters in Armenia will face a “civilizational choice” in the June 7 parliamentary elections between the Republic of Armenia and the concept of “Western Azerbaijan,” political analyst Suren Surenyants claims.

Speaking at a protest outside the Yerevan office of the Council of Europe on Friday, Surenyants, chairman of the Democratic Alternative Party, said the “Western Azerbaijan” narrative promoted in Azerbaijan is not an empty slogan but a state-backed program.

“The ‘Western Azerbaijan’ agenda, which is officially encouraged in Baku, is not a hollow catchphrase. It is a program promoted at the level of the state and the presidential administration,” Surenyants told reporters during the protest organized by the “No to Western Azerbaijan” civic initiative.

Surenyants said that when Azerbaijani officials refer to “Western Azerbaijan”, they mean the territory of the Armenia.

“In a broader sense, the June 7 elections are a civilizational choice between the Republic of Armenia and the ‘Western Azerbaijan’ concept. Everything is pretty clear,” he said.