In an interview with news.am, political analyst Argishti Kiviryan delivered a harsh critique of both the foreign and domestic policies of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. His remarks addressed the so-called \u201cBoard of Peace,\u201d Armenia\u2019s sovereignty, the growing foreign debt, bonus payments to government officials, and the deepening internal crisis within the ruling Civil Contract party.<\/p>\n
Kiviryan characterized Pashinyan\u2019s policy as a form of \u201cpeace achieved through voluntary concessions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf over the past 30 years any Armenian government had ceded even 10 percent of what Pashinyan has conceded, we would already be living in the same \u2018stable\u2019 reality,\u201d he stated. \u201cThis is not peace; it is the legalization of defeat.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
He compared the current policy to a situation in which a person voluntarily submits to violence and then claims to have \u201cavoided danger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sovereignty Is Defined by Control, Not Declarations<\/h3>\n
The analyst sharply criticized official statements about strengthening Armenia\u2019s sovereignty, particularly in the context of the road passing through Syunik.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cA sovereign state is one that controls its roads, energy resources, and critical infrastructure. If you transfer even 45 kilometers of a road to someone else\u2019s management, that state can no longer be considered sovereign,\u201d Kiviryan said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
According to him, Armenia could have built the road independently, opened it under its own jurisdiction, and offered all parties access, which would have been a genuine demonstration of sovereignty.<\/p>\n
Armenia as a Battleground for Great Powers<\/h3>\n
Kiviryan also warned that Armenia is increasingly turning into an arena for confrontation among superpowers.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHistory shows that any country that becomes a battlefield for superpower rivalry is either divided or destroyed. We have seen this during the era of Rome and Persia, and today we see it in Ukraine,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
He argued that the only rational strategic choice for Armenia would have been a model of neutrality similar to Finland\u2019s, rather than drawing new external actors into the region.<\/p>\n
Bonuses Amid Growing Debt<\/h3>\n
Commenting on bonus payments to government officials, Kiviryan questioned their legitimacy.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIf the authorities ensured development, reduced public debt, and improved living standards, high remuneration would be justified. However, when foreign debt is approaching 14\u201315 billion dollars, and there is neither industrial growth nor real development, what exactly are these bonuses being paid for?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
According to him, the authorities are merely increasing debt and redistributing borrowed funds without generating any tangible economic results.<\/p>\n
Cracks Within the Civil Contract Party<\/h3>\n
Kiviryan believes that the basic rules of the game are being regularly violated within the Civil Contract Party, which is fraught with a serious internal crisis.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPeople who stood by Pashinyan with all their strength are now being thrown overboard without any explanation. This directly violates the rules. Such actions inevitably lead to the collapse of any team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
According to the analyst, Pashinyan is so far lucky just because there is no real, well-organized opposition force capable of using the situation in Armenia.<\/p>\n
Opposition Forces are Those Who Fight for Power<\/h3>\n
Summing up, Argishti Kiviryan said that a mere presence in the opposition field is not enough to be regarded as an opposition force.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAn opposition force fights for power by all legal means. Everything apart from that is just dissidence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
According to the analyst, Pashinyan has so far remained lucky only because there is no real, well-organized opposition force capable of taking advantage of the situation in Armenia.<\/p>\n