Armenia’s fledgeling sovereignty 'nullifies' regional factor’s role – expert

With its serious sovereignty-related problems - revealing an overwhelming dependence on Russia - Armenia is no longer perceived as an influential regional player, especially after its defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), says Eduard Abrahamyan, an expert in regional and security affairs.

Addressing the participants of the first Armenian-American Political Science Forum, he called special attention to the country’s “increasingly disadvantageous position” in the hierarchy of international relations after the recent war.  The expert regretted to note that the lowered status - which added to the casualties and territorial losses - essentially undermined the regional factor’s role.                                                                             

“While we could be perceived as [a country] dictating an agenda on the regional level, the Republic of Armenia presently has serious sovereignty-related problems – an obvious dependence on Russia – in all aspects; it cannot have any influence in the region. Hence we have to state with regret that the Republic of Armenia is not a regional factor at present,” he said, predicting low chances of positive shifts in policy attitudes (as a result of a government change) in the short to medium term.

“The most important factor that enabled Armenia to project influence and power on the region was Artsakh – with all its regions, geopolitical role and positions, which it had before September 27, 2020,” the expert said, noting that Azerbaijan has increasingly – and dangerously –strengthened its dominant role after the 44-day fighting.

Commenting on the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group – as the only internationally mandated mission to broker peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan – the expert said he never found the format effective, especially in the post-war period.