Pashinyan's crazy ideas that made the world laugh

When another crazy initiative is announced in Yerevan, the question always arises: isn't Nikol Pashinyan tired of generating ideas that don't come to life? This is a big disadvantage for the image of a politician, and even more so for the head of the country. The question is not how beautiful the idea is, how hung with tinsel it is, and from how many international stands you voiced it. The main thing is the degree of feasibility of the initiatives put forward. They can sound only once and be brought to life, or they can be voiced constantly, as soon as the microphone gets into the hands of the idea generator, and remain only on paper.

Nikol Pashinyan is a great specialist in generating hopeless initiatives. He is one of those dreamers who believe that if the word "halva" is pronounced a hundred times, it will definitely become sweet in his mouth for the hundred and first time.

On the eve of the Armenian and other media, the highlight of the news feeds was another "peacekeeping" initiative of Yerevan. The Armenian Foreign Ministry, offended by some statements by Baku, reminded the world that it had already offered Azerbaijan to agree on a mechanism for joint arms control. They say, "Yerevan opposes the adoption of the concept of security based on force alone, and stands for the settlement of relations with neighbors."

It is very touching to hear such arguments from the diplomatic department of a country that unleashed a bloody conflict and war and occupied the territories of its neighbor for thirty years, believing that the one who is stronger is right.  

This idea was first voiced in January by Nikol Pashinyan on Army Day. The head of Armenia stated that he proposed Azerbaijan to sign a non-aggression pact in case the conclusion of a peace treaty is delayed, as well as to create an arms control mechanism. Without waiting for applause from Baku, in April, in an interview with British journalists, he spoke again about the pact and the mechanism. The Armenian side, represented by its Foreign Ministry and personally Ararat Mirzoyan, today announces everywhere that the Azerbaijani side has not responded to these "peace-loving" initiatives of Armenia, which "is not going to fight for Karabakh." But this is not true. In fact, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reacted to the outpourings of the Armenian prime minister, it was just not the reaction that Yerevan would like to hear.

The ministry said that voicing such frivolous ideas as arms control and a non-aggression pact is political manipulation. And Armenia should not talk about such things, for thirty years it has grossly violated its obligations under international agreements and arms control mechanisms to which it was a party, during the occupation it illegally deployed most of its military equipment and weapons systems in Azerbaijani territories, hiding them from international arms control mechanisms. In order to prove that Armenia is serious about the peace process, it should avoid contradictory statements and provocative steps, and respect the norms and principles of international law, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reasonably advised.

So the answer was given. And it sounds, if translated from the diplomatic language, something like this: in Baku, Pashinyan's next populist idea is considered stupid and frivolous and they ask not to distract us from serious matters over trifles. Instead of entertaining the international community with clownish reprises, Yerevan should take real steps towards peace, and not try to manipulate sonorous terms.

The Prime Minister's initiative did not meet with understanding in Armenia itself. In expert circles, it was called more than strange and does not have any serious basis. These statements do not contribute in any way to the resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the signing of a real peace agreement, but, on the contrary, prevent its signing, the experts assessed.

However, it is impossible to count how many obviously impossible and frivolous ideas have been born in Nikol Pashinyan's head since he came to power. Let's start with the pre-war collection.

In 2019, Pashinyan turned his frivolous idea of resolving the conflict in the interests of the "three peoples" into a slogan, and called everywhere that he was the first head of Armenia who took care of the interests of the Azerbaijani people. He considered this his signature move and constantly, to amuse listeners, repeated it both in his country and in front of a foreign audience. He considered this initiative progressive and leading Yerevan forward in the negotiation process, giving it a hundred points ahead against Baku. However, the idea caused only sarcastic mockery and significantly lowered the idea of Pashinyan's peacekeeping capabilities in the eyes of the Azerbaijani side. Azerbaijan initially associated certain hopes for peace with the overthrow of the Karabakh clan, but when Pashinyan began spewing populist slogans, everything became clear with him.

After the war, Nikol somehow lost his creative zeal a little at first and even began to seriously discuss the peace treaty and the Zangezur corridor. But when the warm hand of France rested on his shoulder, and America patted his beard amicably, inspiration returned.

Let's not dwell on the little things that are born in the rich imagination of the Armenian prime Minister almost daily. Let's pay attention to the most "impressive" ones.

In 2021, Nikol Pashinyan put forward the idea of mirroring the withdrawal of troops from the border. Baku, of course, rejected it, but the author of the initiative did not give up and periodically stubbornly reminded at every convenient and inconvenient occasion. It is unlikely that Pashinyan expected Azerbaijan to go to such madness, and it is unlikely that he even understood what he was talking about. The idea was liked in the West, but discontent rose in his own country, and he had to justify himself to the revanchist masses, explaining that he was misunderstood. By the way, we didn't understand him either. How far from reality do you need to be in order to propose such a thing until a peace treaty is signed with the relevant obligations of the parties and until all processes are brought into line with international law. Yes, Azerbaijan has no views on the internationally recognized territories of Armenia, but Yerevan still has not convinced us of the purity of its intentions. So the idea of withdrawing troops, and even by the Azerbaijani side, is unacceptable.

The biggest of Nikol Pashinyan's crazy ideas is the idea of signing a crude peace treaty. Pashinyan thinks it sounds very cool to sign what is there, and then it will be seen. The Armenian Prime Minister himself liked this idea so much that he voices it wherever they agree to listen to him. He admires himself, saying that Armenia is ready to sign an 80 percent agreed document at least now, and then discuss all remaining issues over a friendly feast. Well, like good neighbors who quarreled over some kind of leak for fresh repairs. And Nicol is so engrossed in admiring himself that he does not notice how the faces of the listeners stretch. Serious politicians understand that a peace treaty is a document that is considered uncoordinated if at least one point is not agreed upon. Pashinyan is not a serious politician, but it's not just about him. He is clearly being driven, and today we are already talking about signing peace on the fields of COP29 in Baku! Everyone understands perfectly well that Baku will not sign a half-hearted peace, and the hapless Armenian prime minister is being used as a battering ram. And he is stupid and incompetent and happy to try.

Or take another stillborn idea of Nikola - "the crossroads of the world." Initially, it was an "Armenian crossroads", but then he decided that the word "peace" was simply necessary here. The other day, he invited Azerbaijan to join the "crossroads of the world", and Western patrons condescendingly applauded him. They laugh when the Armenian Prime Minister makes a dramatic diagnosis of regional logistics and promises to save it by creating the notorious "crossroads". Again, everyone knows that everything is fine with regional logistics, it feels great, it is growing and developing. Everyone also knows that Armenia is not capable of implementing such a project, and no one else will voluntarily join the Pashinyan initiative. Except for Iran, perhaps, and then from hopelessness. However, support for the "crossroads of the world" is now heard in almost all resolutions of European organizations and in all statements by American officials. Pashinyan is happy. So what if the initiative is not feasible. Well, let it be - but the State Department is talking about it.

Once again, an initiative is good when it is feasible. A loud idea that remains unfulfilled turns into a stone around the neck of a politician. We advise Yerevan to count its strength, otherwise very soon this stone will finally drag Armenia to the bottom.