Vartan Oskanian: The one candid admission from Pashinyan’s government is that these concessions were made under threat

The attempt by Pashinyan and his supporters to recast Armenia’s diplomatic collapse as a narrative of success is not only dishonest but deeply insulting to the nation’s collective memory. Each time these individuals speak, they should first recall that they were part of the team responsible for the complete loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of lives, countless maimed and missing, Armenian hostages now held in Baku, and swathes of Armenia’s territory under Azerbaijani control, Vartan Oskanian, Former Foreign Minister of Armenia, writes.

“They must also admit that, with the latest signed documents, they have effectively conceded the so-called “Zangezur corridor” in Armenia’s most strategically vital region to Azerbaijan, while the pre-signed “peace agreement” further erodes Armenia’s sovereignty and paves the way for additional territorial concessions.

The one candid admission from Pashinyan’s government is that these concessions—such as granting the Zangezur corridor—were made under threat: “If we had not conceded, it would have been taken by force.” This confession makes clear that these agreements were not legitimate diplomatic achievements but coercive arrangements, and as such, they can be legally challenged and even nullified.

It is worth asking: who exactly negotiated these documents? Surely there was more than one person—a full team, advisors and legal experts. If they genuinely believe they have done a brilliant job, why not step forward, hold a press conference, and proudly claim credit for surrendering centuries of Armenian struggle and sovereignty? Instead, they remain faceless, hiding behind Pashinyan’s rhetoric, a silence that speaks volumes about their confidence in these so-called ‘achievements,’” Oskanian writes.