Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that the peace treaty with Azerbaijan is close to completion, but Armenia will not accept Baku’s demands to change its Constitution. Euractiv wrote that after Pashinyan’s statements, clashes broke out between the police and protesters in Yerevan.
The protesters condemn the policy of the head of the country and demand his resignation. “Reports and videos from Yerevan show that the police are using stun grenades against the protesters gathered outside the Parliament building,” the news website wrote.
Eurasianet reported that on June 12, dozens of people were injured in the clashes between protesters and security forces outside the National Assembly building. The ruling majority of the Parliament ruled out the possibility of holding an extraordinary session to discuss the government’s impeachment.
“Without sufficient support in Parliament, the Opposition’s chances of success in forcing the resignation of the government shrink,” the author writes. It was also noted that despite Pashinyan’s claims that the Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation agreement is close at hand, one big obstacle still needs to be overcome: Azerbaijan has called on Armenia to make amendments to its Constitution, which cannot be part of the negotiations.
Euronews wrote about Pashinyan’s statement about withdrawing from the CSTO. As mentioned, Pashinyan made this move when faced with a huge wave of protests. The protesters demand his resignation in connection with the decision to cede the four border villages to Azerbaijan.
Stratfor strategic intelligence company wrote that Pashinyan’s statement is the most direct confirmation of his administration’s long-standing intention to finally withdraw from the CSTO. However, Armenia is unlikely to formalize its withdrawal until it reduces its trade dependence on Russia and other members of the Eurasian Economic Union, secures greater diplomatic and military support from Western governments, and, most importantly, outlines a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. Armenia is likely to leave the organization in the coming years, but still encounters practical obstacles, including the future of the Russian military base in Gyumri.
