Robert Kocharyan’s Manipulations in the Interview to “Golos Armenii” Newspaper

RA second President Robert Kocharyan gave an interview to “Golos Armenii” newspaper which contained a series of manipulative and groundless statements.

In particular, Kocharyan states in the interview that the present authorities “have shifted their geopolitical orientation overnight.” What exactly is meant by Kocharyan is unclear. Prime Minister Pashinyan has stated many times that no substantial changes in the geopolitical orientation of Armenia will take place and “Armenia will not engage in any geopolitical game.” In fact, no significant change in the geopolitical orientation of Armenia took place after the revolution in April-May 2018. Pashinyan himself declares that there are no prospects for changes on this account.

Coming to overnight shifts in foreign political orientation, the only such case was in the non-too-distant past under Serzh Sargsyan on September 3, 2013. On that day Sargsyan unexpectedly declared about joining the Customs Union whereas Association agreement between Armenia and EU had been under negotiation for several years which was supposed to be signed in November same year. The overnight shift of foreign political orientation was admitted even by Serzh Sargsyan: “I couldn’t ask everyone’s opinion overnight” – said Sargsyan at a meeting with Armenian community in Czech Republic in September 2014.

Kocharyan also states in the interview to “Golos Armenii” that Pashinyan’s government makes “persistent efforts to export revolution to Artsakh” and have snap elections there. However, Armenian authorities, in the face of Prime Minister Pashinyan, have expressed support for Bako Sahakyan after the revolution in Armenia.

Moreover, when a movement against Bako Sahakyan started in Artsakh in 2018 Pashinyan expressed his “unreserved support.” In response, Sahakyan expressed support for Pashinyan.

It is also unclear what Kocharyan means when speaking about snap elections in Artsakh as Pashinyan’s government never hinted at snap elections in Artsakh, nor did Pashinyan express support for the actions of opposition figures there.

Hovhannes Nazaretyan

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