Armenia’s current peace rhetoric sends a dual message, balancing signals of readiness for reconciliation with Azerbaijan while maintaining a hard line on security amid an election period, says political analyst.
Speaking in the AnewZ studio, political analyst Ulviyya Zulfikar described Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent remarks on peace with Azerbaijan and military preparedness as a “dual-track signal” aimed at different audiences.
“Externally, Armenia is reassuring that it is ready for peace,” Zulfikar said. “Internally, it is showing that there is no compromise on national security, especially during an election period.”
Her comments come after Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia is not preparing for war and described peace with Azerbaijan as the country’s “most reliable” security guarantee, in a message marking the 34th anniversary of Armenia’s Armed Forces.
“There will be no war,” Pashinyan said, adding that peace offers the strongest assurance of national security.
“During the war period, it was understandable,” she said. “But during the peace process, this creates risks. Selling weapons to one of the parties in such a sensitive period is very risky for the region.”
She stressed that genuine progress toward peace requires restraint as well as political commitment. “If Armenia wants peace, it has to obey the rules of the peace process,” Zulfikar said, adding that militarisation contradicts efforts to de-escalate tensions.
According to analyst, the benefits of peace would be substantial, particularly for Armenia.
“This peace process has economic, trade and security benefits, first of all for Armenia itself,” she said, noting that Armenia’s previous occupation policy had left it isolated from regional economic and trade networks.
Turning to the prospects of a peace treaty, Zulfikar said the Washington summit marked a decisive turning point.
“Everything is going toward this peace treaty,” she said, adding that key remaining obstacles include constitutional amendments in Armenia, which Azerbaijan has said are necessary for long-term stability.
She also pointed to growing international engagement, particularly by the United States, as a sign that the peace process is being closely monitored.
Zulfikar highlighted the importance of regional transit routes, saying they could unlock economic benefits not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan but for the wider region.
“This is about development,” she said. “It’s beneficial first for Armenia, then for Azerbaijan, and for all regional countries.”
Looking ahead, Zulfikar said Armenia’s upcoming elections would be critical.
“There is no way to withdraw from this process,” she said. “If Armenia pulls back, the peace process and regional projects could collapse, and that would have serious consequences domestically.”
Iran has rejected claims it has been weakened, vowing instead “more crushing” attacks against the United States and ...
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks wit...
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone A...
In a highly unusual move highlighting shifting narcotics diplomacy, the U.S. has handed over a Chinese fugitive accus...
Russian forces launched a day-long barrage of drone strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city on Thursday (2 April), injuring at least two peo...
Iran has rejected claims it has been weakened, vowing instead “more crushing” attacks against the United States and Israel. President Masoud Pezeshkian also warned that Israel is fabricating threats about Iran, as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed affecting the global energy market.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
Russian forces launched a day-long barrage of drone strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city on Thursday (2 April), injuring at least two people and sparking fires across several districts, local officials said.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
President Donald Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the U.S. military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Former Kyrgyz MP Shairbek Tashiev has been detained in a corruption investigation linked to state oil firm Kyrgyzneftegaz, as the case expands to include members of a powerful political family.
Afghanistan remains the third most affected country globally for unexploded ordnance casualties, with more than 50 people killed or injured each month, a United Nations official has said.
Leading Turkish official Fuat Oktay this week called for the dismantling of Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons stockpile. The head of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee said Israel’s nuclear capability should be “eliminated as soon as possible”.
Fresh Houthi missile and drone strikes on Israel mark a significant widening of the Iran-centred conflict, raising fears the Yemen-based group could open a new front. Their position near the Bab el-Mandeb strait also threatens global shipping and energy flows.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment