Former Artsakh Foreign Minister Arman Melikyan believes that Armenia no longer conducts its own foreign policy independently from dominant regional and global players.

“This means the fundamental interests of our country are subordinated to the interests of other actors when making decisions related to Armenia on international platforms,” Melikyan told Hetq, referring to the statements following this month’s meeting in Prague between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Melikyan, who served as Armenia’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan (1993-1999), accused the Pashinyan administration of not having a clear strategic agenda regarding Artsakh and relying on reactive short-term tactics instead.

“It’s possible to get out of the created situation, but very specific steps must be taken for this. Money, time and professional work are needed to correct the situation and ensure the necessary level of national competence,” Melikyan said.

He said Pashinyan’s government can’t provide an adequate response, at the state level, to the anti-Armenian actions of Azerbaijan, including psychological pressure as evidenced by Baku’s promotion of anti-Armenian atrocities.

When asked to comment on recent statements emanating from Yerevan, calling for direct talks between Stepanakert and Baku, Melikyan said this again points to a desire by the current Armenian government to “pass the buck” on the Artsakh issue.

Melikyan said international players like the Minsk Group, the U.S., France, and Russia cannot agree on what should be done to settle Karabakh conflict.

“What is acceptable to France and the USA is rejected and criticized by Russia. In the Armenian-Azerbaijani border region and Artsakh, the co-chairs’ influence on the interested parties remains to be seen. A lot will depend on whether the political and diplomatic involvement of the U.S and the presence of EU observers on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will prevent any new Azerbaijani aggression, and also on how well the Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh will be able to restrain the malicious intentions of official Baku against the Armenians of Artsakh,” Melikyan told Hetq.