Vakhtang Siradeghyan
In 2008-09, Nikol’s book, published in parts in the family newspaper,
presents the Ter-Petrosyan idea of abandoning Artsakh. I have written about it many times both on the pages of “Hraparak” and on my Facebook page. In order for the “Sergojas” to live well (in the words of the first president of the Republic of Armenia), Artsakh must be surrendered. And according to Nicole, in order for the whole organism to live, it is necessary to cut off its diseased part. Artsakh was a burden for the first, and a sick member of the organism for the other (opposition figure Nikol). And it is natural that by seizing power on the street, Nikol had to think about implementing the idea of his spiritual father and his own. Especially since the Western powers supported the movement he formed in April 2018 with this in mind. And they booked it through John Bolton, the acting National Security Adviser of the US President.
The latter visited Yerevan at the end of October 2018 and through an American radio station advised the person holding the post of the prime minister “not to be constrained by historical patterns”. Of course, it also includes the improvement of relations with Turkey, but that process was already initiated by the third RA president.
But until the fall of 2020, Nikol did not undertake anything in the direction of Artsakh, he even showed opposite behavior. Let’s remember the cry “Artsakh is Armenia and that’s it” made in Stepanakert (beginning of August 2019). But let’s also remember that already in the fall of 2019, there was a treacherous plan to surrender Artsakh at the cost of several thousand victims, which was later revealed by journalist Nairi Khokhikyan.
I believe this conflict comes from Nicole’s inherent temperament, which was reinforced (or rather, cemented) by the events of April 2018. On the one hand, naturally, in the case of success, there is an extremely high level of excitement, on the other hand, an equally severe degree of depression. However, until the autumn of 2020, the feeling of being God’s “heroic chosen one” did not leave Nikoli, which left no room for the realization of the idea of surrendering Artsakh to the enemy. Even when that moment came, it was couched in the judgment of “Whatever happens, we won’t feel defeated.” And then reality forced him to reckon with himself, and he hid in a bunker. Hiding in the bunker was an escape from the harsh reality.
Today, those moments have already passed, there is no longer the “heroic chosen one” of God, but there is also no more depressive state. The process of self-justification and abdication of responsibility has been going on for a long time. Which means looking for and “finding” the culprits outside of oneself. It also means complete release from Artsakh problem and responsibility. The response to this is the expression “29,800 square kilometers” of the size of the territory of Armenia, which he constantly refers to. It’s just that we (by us, I mean the literate Armenians who have preserved the sense of their homeland) still don’t accept it. We realize it, but we don’t accept it. By the way, the ongoing housing construction in Artsakh with the funds of the RA state budget does not contradict the above. If one day it is necessary, the people of Artsakh will be transferred to Armenia again. And he will say that he is not guilty, that’s how the circumstances were arranged. He will add that he was building apartments in Artsakh. Of course, it will be seen in retrospect as a waste of public funds, but he doesn’t care. Public funds can and will be wasted in political games. What remains is to constantly mention the negotiation process in the cradle of the past, then it is again aimed at justifying itself. Roughly like this: “The predecessors had already given Artsakh, and it remained for me to give it a paper formulation.”
Something similar to that is written or voiced many times by ignorant Nicolaitans.
And how long it will take until the depopulation of Artsakh depends on the international situation and especially the Russian-Ukrainian war. If it ends with the victory of the Russian side by the fall of 2025, the stay of Russian peacekeepers will be extended for another 5 years. And in the case of all other options, those forces will have to leave there, and… It remains that until then we can remove Nikol from power, so that we can at least try to preserve that part of the motherland.
Vakhtang Siradeghyan