Decision on exchange proposed by Azerbaijan to be made by Armenia’s PM: political technologist

The meeting of Armenia’s foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in New York on September 23 does not promise any progress in Karabakh conflict settlement process, political technologist Armen Badalyan told Aysor.am, adding that it will be just a regular meeting.

“This turns into a lasting, frozen conflict when the meetings take place for just taking place. Of course, I do not exclude some clarification over some issues but to say that a breakthrough will be registered will be wrong,” Badalyan said.

Referring to the Azerbaijani proposal on exchanging two Azerbaijani saboteurs with Armenian captives in Azerbaijan, and Artsakh being against it, Badalyan said the issue is more moral than political.

“Of course, the Armenian captives in Azerbaijan have parents here, they want their sons to return from captivity. But at the same time, the 17-year-old young man killed by the Azerbaijani saboteurs has parents too. Naturally the parents of the murdered Smbat Tsakanyan will not agree to the exchange of the murderers of their son with the Armenian captives,” Badalyan said.

The political technologist voiced opinion that Artsakh authorities would hardly keep the denial position till the end, if the Armenian authorities keep claiming their readiness of exchange.

“As of now, everything depends on the prime minister, if he instructs exchange, it will happen and the Artsakh authorities will be forced to agree to it,” he said, adding that it will raise a big dissatisfaction in Artsakh.

“With 51/49 percent ratio this transaction will take place,” Badalyan concluded.