Mr Mercouris claims that the current Armenian Prime Minister is trying to get rid of this disputed territory, home to thousands of ethnic Armenians, in order to join NATO. And he is trying to do so by shifting the blame to Russia, thereby preserving his political authority.
“Not only is he trying to unload on Nagorno-Karabakh, so that he can bring Armenia into the NATO-EU camp, but he also wants to do it in a way that he can blame the Russians.”
By getting rid of the Nagorno-Karabakh claim, the Armenian leader would close the territorial dispute with Azerbaijan, then the country would qualify for NATO membership. However, at the moment, due to the possibility of a military clash with its neighbour, Armenia’s accession to the alliance is impossible, so as Ukraine has been rejected for a similar reason.
“He can’t enter the EU or NATO unless the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh is somehow washed away. NATO will not include a country like Armenia, if there is a serious risk that Armenia could find itself in conflict with Azerbaijan.”
Making matters worse for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is the presence of Azerbaijan’s ally in the North Atlantic alliance, which will never endorse Armenia’s candidacy.
“One of the members of NATO which can put veto on Armenian entrance is Turkey – Azerbaijan’s ally. But beyond that, NATO does not want to find itself in a war with Azerbaijan at all, so they would never agree.”
Finally, Alexander Mercouris is convinced that Armenia is making a serious mistake by trying to get closer to the West while at the same time worsening relations with Russia. After all, it is Moscow that has ensured its security and stable development for centuries.
“Just look at the map where Armenia is located and ask yourself what country has always provided a backstop, which has enabled Armenia to survive through very difficult 18th, 19th, 20h and probably 21st centuries. It is Russia.”
