Panel Presents Personal Perspectives on Karabagh at Northeastern University

Grigoryan said that there is a fear that war may break out again. The youth have to serve in the military, and even now shootings takes place, leading to sporadic deaths. He said, “It is a fear that we don’t experience here in the United States. … Having been there, it is also eerie, going through some of the regions where you see empty villages. …You are always reminded of the atrocities that had happened. The city of Shushi, yes, is being rebuilt, but there are parts of it where you go and you are reminded of the war. There is always the unease that people have.”

Turcotte pointed out that there is stable economic growth, and said that this “is unusual for a country that is not considered to be a country, that is blockaded and whose only trade is with Armenia.” She said the people of Karabagh want good government, peace, and construction. The roads are better than in Armenia, thanks to foreign investment, and despite areas reminding visitors of the war, the capital of Stepanakert is beautiful and Shushi, an artistic center, is progressing. Mining, food processing, telecommunications, construction and tourism produce income, but educational opportunities and health care are limited.

She declared that the borders are constantly being attacked, and demining is necessary. The US is the only country in the world that sends aid officially, and that is only two million dollars for demining, which is insufficient. There is no UN presence because of the conflict.

She concluded, “All the things that we hold dear here, they hold dear there. They don’t care that they are not recognized. …They are still living [there] and their kids are going to school. We need to support them.”

Yordanyan said, “There is a psychological element of permanent pressure and fear that there might be a war, but it has been 25 years so when it happens every day you get used to it even if it is extreme. … People living there are really, really strong. They are like the Scots of Armenia.” She found that many of the problems of daily life were the same as those facing Armenians living in the Republic of Armenia. Maintaining a self-sustainable economic is a great collective challenge, but, she said, there are many positive achievements in Artsakh, such as low unemployment at around two to three percent and real competition in the parliamentary elections. Yordanyan thought that “the people of Artsakh should concentrate on building civil society…which will make the Republic of Artsakh a stronger country. This is the only resource Karabagh can rely on.” Another opportunity is to increase energy production to begin exporting to Armenia.

Ohanyan’s second question concerned the recent increased intensity and breadth of violence on the 160-mile line of contact despite a formal ceasefire. How does the rapidly shifting geopolitical environment of the south Caucasus affect the peace process?

Mosiyan said that Azerbaijan has to choose between Turkey and Russia because of recent conflicts, and if Russian-Turkish relations turn sour, as part of the relations of Russia with the West, they affect the Karabagh issue too. Meanwhile, Iran is reemerging in the region after its nuclear deal. Finally, the economic collapse in Azerbaijan due to falling oil prices increases domestic dissatisfaction with the government, so President Ilham Aliyev may turn to Karabagh as his trump card.

Grigoryan said that Armenians have always been the pawn of the powers in the region, and lately Armenia has been aligning more with Russia. For him, the most likely scenario is the indefinite continuation of the status quo. Iran does not want a strong Azerbaijan since it has a large domestic Azerbaijani population, while Turkey generally aligns with Azerbaijan and is at odds with Iran. Aliyev cannot sign a ceasefire since he would lose face domestically. For Grigoryan, however, the Azerbaijani celebration of Ramil Safarov as a national hero after his brutal murder of an Armenian in 2004 in Budapest was a disturbing aspect of the situation.

Turcotte said that up to several months ago she would have said that Armenia would have successfully continued its balancing act between the various powers in the region, but now, with the fall of the Azerbaijani currency along with oil prices, ordinary citizens are committing suicide because of their debt. Azerbaijani criticism of the Aliyev regime has increased, which may lead Aliyev to irrational actions. He already has begun the use of tanks at the borders. In sum, she said, she no longer knows what may happen next.

Yordanyan said that changes for the worse in Russian-Western relations will affect the Karabagh negotiation process negatively and slow it down. The Middle Eastern situation is important. As the US wants to cooperate with Iran to achieve a solution to the Syrian conflict, an increased role of Iran in the region may also help Armenia directly, and indirectly in the negotiation process. On the other hand, a rise in Islamic fundamentalism in the region may spread to Azerbaijan and pose a threat in the future to Armenia.

Ohanyan’s third set of questions included what NKR might gain through a demilitarization of the line of contact with Azerbaijan and how important international recognition is for the people of NKR.

Yordanyan responded, saying “I do not think that the demilitarization of contact line borders is possible considering the extent of anti-Armenian hatred now in Azerbaijan.” International recognition is important as the final step or end. Without it, Karabagh does not exist, and it will provide many more opportunities. However, a lot of other steps are necessary before this, she said.

Finally, Ohanyan asked what is the significance of NKR for Armenians outside Armenia who grew up with the legacy of the Armenian Genocide.

Turcotte said that she just received a question after an event in Boston which led her to write an article afterwards. An Armenian community leader asked why can we not empty Karabagh of its Armenian population and give it to Azerbaijan in order to end this conflict. She said that this cynicism is shocking. “For the first time in our history, we have won back land…yet millions of Armenians do not know about Karabagh. They don’t support its fight for independence. That is why these kinds of events are important.” Turcotte said it is important to send the message to Azerbaijan that while Armenia may not have oil, it has its diaspora.

Grigoryan said, “I haven’t been part of the greater Armenian diaspora. I grew up in Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio, where there were not many Armenians around, but I always felt connected with Artsakh growing up…it should be important for the whole Armenian diaspora. We are all Armenians and should be united as much as we can.” He added that with Armenians from Syria settling in Karabagh, that may create further bonds with diaspora Armenians.

Yordanyan eagerly said, “I was waiting for this moment. This is the best part, where a lot can be done.” She said there is a lot of potential for developing information technologies in Karabagh which would overcome its isolation, and diasporan Armenians can be of great help. Furthermore, a lot of people in NKR are self-employed, so comparatively small sums of money can allow their projects to continue. Finally, she said, diasporan Armenians need to discover Karabagh for themselves in a new way, such as through summer internships. Yordanyan said, “You do not need formal recognition — just the will and a project.”

Mosiyan said “I myself feel that Karabagh plays a huge part in diasporan life. When someone asks where you are from and I say Armenia, and when someone is Armenian and I say Artsakh, I can feel the warmth. … We can see the diaspora caring about Karabagh when we look at the roads. It is not only financial support — it is caring about the state.” Diasporan Armenians come to live in the villages with families for several days to get to know them better.

At the conclusion of the program, audience questions were fielded by the panelists.