Today is the birthday of Vazgen Sargsyan, a man who made an invaluable contribution to our modern history, to the victory achieved by the state and the people. On this occasion, I consider it necessary to respond to recent assertions that had the Karabakh issue been resolved earlier, a more favorable outcome would have been possible for us. As a direct participant in the Karabakh conflict negotiation process since 1992, as well as the signing of the ceasefire document of May 16, 1994, I can state the following: Azerbaijan has never agreed to real concessions regarding the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Negotiations were primarily a tactical tool for them, allowing them to gain time, gain strength, and subsequently resolve the issue by force. This is evidenced by Azerbaijan’s annually growing military budget, which has now reached the budget of the Republic of Armenia. Moreover, during the 1994 ceasefire negotiations, Azerbaijan made every effort to ensure the withdrawal of Armenian troops to the borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and a return of the parties to the 1988 situation. This failed. Azerbaijan also opposed the presence of Russian peacekeepers in the region, proposing an OSCE observation mission. Nevertheless, the ceasefire was concluded, although Azerbaijan signed it with obvious reluctance. I would like to emphasize that, unlike Azerbaijan, the Armenian side was always prepared to compromise. And if Azerbaijan had ever agreed to a solution, it would have been implemented long ago. And one more thing: Azerbaijan’s tough stance and refusal to make concessions has found support throughout its political arena. Azerbaijan has never abandoned the idea of returning Karabakh.
History, from the signing of the ceasefire agreement to the 2020 war, could have taken a completely different course had we been able to more effectively develop the economy, ensure stable and progressive growth, pursue a foreign policy based on national interests, strengthen the army, ensure a political and power balance, and prevent the events that led to a split in society and emigration.
And today, it is completely ineffective to talk about what would have happened if we had reached a solution earlier, without knowing exactly what the proposals were and without assessing the potential outcomes of those solutions.
Today, more than ever, it is important to calmly and objectively assess what has happened. Without such an assessment, it is impossible to confront current and future challenges.
Vagharshak Harutyunyan
05.03.2026