Op-ed by Vartan Oskanian, Armenia’s former foreign minister (1998-2008)
The annual OSCE Council of Ministers meeting serves as a unique platform for the foreign ministers of 57 member states to highlight national priorities, confront urgent regional issues, and shape international dialogue. For Armenia, this forum holds particular significance given the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the ongoing regional challenges it confronts. Unfortunately, the recent address by Armenia’s Foreign Minister at the 31st OSCE Ministerial Council in Malta represented a missed opportunity and a stark failure of leadership. The speech was characterized by a tone of appeasement and notable omissions on critical issues vital to Armenia’s national interests.
Ararat Mirzoyan’s speech failed to address the most critical challenges facing Armenia. There was no mention of Azerbaijan’s violations of Armenia’s territorial integrity, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the rights of its displaced people, the destruction of cultural heritage, or the unlawful detention of Armenian citizens, prisoners of war, and the political leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh. This silence was especially troubling given Azerbaijan’s active efforts to dominate the narrative, including leveraging platforms like UNESCO to allege threats to Azerbaijani heritage in Armenia and advocating for the so-called right of “Western Azerbaijanis” to return to Armenia.
Diplomacy rarely exists in a vacuum; silence can be interpreted as acquiescence. By failing to counter Azerbaijan’s false claims and assert Armenia’s legitimate concerns and demands, the speech ceded vital ground to an adversary intent on shaping the narrative to its advantage.
For decades, peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan were guided by the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the US, France, and Russia—a group mandated by the very organization Mirzoyan was addressing. These talks were based on principles of territorial integrity, non-use of force, and the self-determination of peoples.
The OSCE meeting was a crucial opportunity for Armenia to remind member states of these principles, emphasizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s self-determination and the need for a fair and lasting resolution. What better place could there have been to ask whether those now detained in Baku are legitimate representatives of a people who sought self-determination in accordance with international law, or whether the very mediators visiting Stepanakert in the past were negotiating with terrorists and criminals, as Azerbaijan now suggests? Of course not. Their detention is a political ploy to silence the Armenian cause, a serious violation of international law, and a challenge to the legitimacy of the global diplomatic process.
What better forum could there have been to remind everyone that while Azerbaijan claims sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, the region was long a heartland of Armenian life with a strong claim to the right of self-determination? By failing to do so, Armenia forfeited a chance to assert its stance and rally international support.
The absence of any reference to the right of return for displaced Armenians was particularly egregious. Entire communities uprooted from their homes continue to suffer, yet their plight was overlooked. Cultural heritage sites have been systematically destroyed, and fundamental human rights violated, but these issues were conspicuously absent from Mirzoyan’s address.
Another critical lapse was the failure to challenge Azerbaijan’s occupation of Armenian territories. This is not a mere border dispute; it is a direct assault on Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. By avoiding the issue, the speech risked legitimizing Azerbaijan’s expansionist actions, undermining Armenia’s ability to assert its rights, and jeopardizing its long-term security. Moreover, such omissions hinder Armenia’s efforts to build alliances and garner international support, leaving the country increasingly isolated.
The speech’s reliance on appeasement as a strategy for peace was disheartening. While peace is a noble goal, achieving it without addressing the root causes of still-outstanding issues is dangerously naive. Azerbaijan’s repeated violations of agreements and reliance on force demonstrate the inadequacy of purely diplomatic overtures. Genuine peace requires a firm assertion of rights and a willingness to confront aggressors. By failing to do so, Armenia risks further harm, erodes public trust in its leadership, and weakens the morale of its citizens.
True stability requires a comprehensive resolution that restores the fundamental rights of Nagorno-Karabakh’s people, addresses Azerbaijan’s violations, and ensures justice for the displaced and detained. This cannot be achieved through silence or appeasement but through a principled and assertive diplomatic approach.
The OSCE Council of Ministers’ annual meeting a week ago in Malta was a missed opportunity for Armenia to stand firm on issues of justice, sovereignty, and human dignity. By failing to address critical concerns, the Foreign Minister’s speech allowed Azerbaijan to dominate the narrative, weakened Armenia’s diplomatic position, and jeopardized its long-term security. Moving forward, Armenia’s leadership must recognize that effective diplomacy requires both strength and principle. Only by asserting its legitimate rights and addressing the root causes of conflict can Armenia hope to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.
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