YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonyan on Friday for his reported claim that Russia sought to restore Azerbaijani control over Nagorno-Karabakh through peace proposals made before last year’s war.
Simonyan was quoted as making the claim in a recent interview with several Russian journalists. He responded to one of those journalists who accused the Armenian government of “surrendering” Karabakh to Azerbaijan with the aim of ending Armenia’s alliance with Russia.
“For its part, the Armenian society is … of the opinion that Russia surrendered Karabakh,” Simonyan said in comments publicized by Russian media last week. “In anybody [in Armenia] wanted to surrender anything, there were several variants of doing that, including the Lavrov plan.”
The Armenian speaker, who is a key political ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, referred to a peace plan that was drafted by U.S., Russian and French mediators and reportedly promoted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The plan was based on the so-called Madrid Principles of a Karabakh settlement, which were first put forward by the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in 2007.
A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry scoffed at the claim attributed to Simonyan.
“It is difficult to comment on something that exists not in reality but in the imagination,” the unnamed official told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
“It is deeply regrettable that some Armenian politicians not only do not refute absurd ‘thoughts’ about Russia’s ‘surrender’ of Nagorno-Karabakh, which does not belong to, but, in fact, agree with such baseless judgments,” said the official.
The official argued that the peace plan stipulated that Karabakh’s internationally recognized status would be determined through a future referendum and envisaged firm security guarantees for the territory’s predominantly Armenian population.
“Once again compare those proposals of the co-chairs with the current situation and draw conclusions,” the Russian official added, clearly alluding to sweeping Armenian territorial losses suffered as a result of the six-week war with Azerbaijan stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire in November 2020.
A spokesman for the Armenian parliament refused to comment on the criticism.
Pashinyan likewise repeatedly criticized the mediators’ peace proposals during and after the disastrous war. In a January 2021 article, he claimed that their most recent version amounted to a proposed “surrender of lands” to Azerbaijan “in return for nothing.”
The then Russian co-chair of the Minsk Group, Igor Popov, bluntly denied that in written comments posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website. Popov said Yerevan and Baku intensively negotiated on the proposed peace formula until Pashinyan’s government “came up with new approaches” in 2018.
As a nation we will prosper when we all come to the realization that WE HAVE NO FRIENDS. Not Russia, USA, France, Europe, NO ONE. We have absolutely nothing to offer, our nation is broke, we have no resources, and we are used like a pawn and sacrificed again and again and yet we never learn our lesson.
For 30 years we knew the Turks were preparing, arming, making allies and getting ready for war, while our leaders all of who can be easily termed corrupt built mansions with gold door handles and private zoo’s thinking the Turks will not dare to attack.
The level of corruption ran so deep and so wide that I doubt we will remove that virus for years to come, at least Azerbaijan is raking in the petro dollars.
The diaspora tried hard to engage, but each and every time we were treated with disdain and mistrust, all we ever want is for our nation to prosper, and all the leaders of our nation wanted was for us to fill their personal coffers.
In a 10 year period the diaspora can totally transform Armenia, but not with the current political structures in place, so Serj and his goons can go and spend millions in casinos while we work 7 days a week to provide to our families in the diaspora and assist whatever way we can.
The latest corrupt episodes with the Hayastan Fund is a great example, with a board of trustees of 2 football teams they still managed to siphon almost unaccountable USD$100 Million, while almost 4000 of youth died for their ignorance and stupidity
Thank you Serop… very well said …
We work hard for our money to help our nation …
till today nothing has been done, all corrupted money should be returned back to help the families who lost their beloveds, we have 11.000 handicapped young soldiers 1500 severely bedridden…
A “new Sardarabad war” is nearing soon. This time will be a wider and more effective way. We may even obtain some “dirty bombs” from our resources. Russia is and will be the #1 enemy of Armenians. They are the ones guiding corrupt Armenians for real corruption. All world Armenians must be ready for a planned Russo-Turkish collation war toward the final annihilation of Armenia.
Well said.
@SEROP!!!!!
THIS WHAT I SAY FOR YEEERS AND YEEERS AND YEEEERS!!!!!!! ARMEEENIA LEEDERS CORRRUPT AND STEEL AND DESTROY ARMEEENIA FOR 30 YEEERS!!!!! BILLIONS OF $$$$$ STEEEEL MONEY!!!!! FAST FORWARD TO 2021!!!! ARMEEEENIA IS LOW POPULATION!!! WEAK!!! POOR!!!! NOT MODERN!!!! EARTHQUAKE FAMILIES STILL LIVE IN METAL SHEDS!!!!! ALL THE TIME THEY ASK FOR MORE AND MORE MONEY!!!!!! WHERE IS THE CHANGE??????? WHERE IS THE INVESTMENT???????? WHERE IS THE MODERN ROADS??? INTERNET??? WEAPONS???????? ARMEEENIA HAVE NO POWER AND KEEP GETTING BEAT UP OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!! CRY TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP!!!!!! OTHER COUNTRIES DON’T GIVE A SHIT!!!!! LET JAPANESE TO CONTROL ARMEEENIA!!!!! ARMEENIA WILL BE MODERN!!! RICH!!! STRONG!!! IN 10 YEEERS!!!!! ARMEEEENIAN PEEEOPLE CANT GOVERN ARMEEENIA!!!!! SAD!! SAD!!!! SAD!!!!!!
There is no way to edit what we write why… ???
can you guide us… please
Thanks
Strop, I agree with 99%. The 1% disagreement lies in the notion of Russia not being a friend. Actually, Russia is our bloodthirsty enemy. It should be ranked right up there with Turkey and the so-called country called Azerbaijan (a propped up by Russia, let’s not forget). Certain circles (numb-brains) in Armenia still believe in Russia…followers of Kocharian and “azgayin azadakragan” groups (read “parties”).
Sorry, Serop….. autocorrect error.
I agree mostly but…
Russia needs Armenia and Iran needs Armenia in my opinion. This is not because they love us but rather because we are an island in the way of Turkish / Nato expansion for the Russians and a transport corridor for the Iranians. We need to use that in our favor. Everyone please take a look at the map of the region and kindly let me know where any friendly countries near us are? Russia does what is best for Russia and rightfully so. Correct, we have no true friends but do you really think any European country is going to send anything but money to help? How are they going to send troops, though Iran or Russia or Georgia? Dream on!!! Russia is it folks, stop fighting reality and embrace them or else it’s all over. Armenia should be the Isael of the region but instead we are the bitches of the region and we deserve it because we allow it to happen. This situation is all of our fault not just the corrupt in Armenia.
karabakh is azerbaijan
sonic zengezur is azerbaijan
bayram the azerbarani sheep
You are one of the most coward idiots I have ever come across here. All you do is to print some gibberish and take off like a scared sheep. You have no honor like the rest of you. You lack manhood and it shows. If you had any respect for yourself and believed all the bull crap you spew here you would defend yourself and your words but you never do because you are a typical mentally-handicapped and institutionally-brainwashed azerbarani sheep. You are a loser and you will always be a loser you filthy mutt!
Արցախ-Artsakh (Karabakh) is ARMENIA!
Artificial Azerbaijan is ARMENIA!
Karabağ Ermənistandır
Azərbaycan Ermənistandır!
Yaşasın Ermənistan!
Azərbaycana ölüm!
cowards, but idiots like you who do not know history and culture, are ignorant American scumbags who do not know the world. You can only talk from 10000 km away, poor quality oxen.
brides or karabag do you dare fascist fools
Armenian youth lovebirds with corpses in the mountains of Karabag are eating birds and dogs, they are hungry, come on they are cowards
iving in dreams and dreams is the life strategy of Armenians.
The real truths are 2000 Armenian ashens who were beaten by wolfhounds in the Karabagh mountains.
azerbarani sheep burning in hell!
1994
37,500 azerbarani cowards sent to hell (over 60% of total azerbarani active forces)
2020
30,000 azerbarani cowards sent to hell to meet their 72 imaginary virgins!
Congratulations on your dead cowards!
May “allah” give you a thousand times as many dead cowards!
Şəhidlər Xiyabanı Mubarek Olsun!