Former Armenian President Kocharyan Criticizes Pashinyan’s Diplomatic Stance Toward Turkey 

Former Armenian President Kocharyan Criticizes Pashinyan’s Diplomatic Stance Toward Turkey
Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has offered a critical assessment of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s foreign policy, specifically focusing on the administration’s approach to Turkey between 2018 and 2020. In a recent statement regarding the diplomatic climate of that period, Kocharyan claimed that Pashinyan engaged in a level of anti-Turkey rhetoric that was unprecedented compared to any previous Armenian leader.
Kocharyan emphasized the specific geopolitical context of these statements, noting that they coincided with a period of intense diplomatic friction between French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The former president highlighted that during this timeframe, relations were particularly strained between Ankara and a bloc involving France, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot administration.
By drawing attention to this timeline, Kocharyan suggested that the Armenian government’s vocal stance during those years aligned Yerevan closely with Turkey’s regional rivals at a volatile moment. His comments reflect ongoing internal debates within Armenia regarding the efficacy of the current administration’s diplomatic strategies and the consequences of its rhetoric on regional stability. The statement underscores the complex historical interplay between the two nations and the impact of broader European geopolitical tensions on the South Caucasus region.