In the Armenian-Azerbaijani delimitation and demarcation process, Areg Kochinyan considers the main obstacle to be the issue of enclaves, which both sides continuously avoid. “Given the prolonged war, hatred, and distrust, the best decision would be to leave them as they are. More problems will arise there than benefits,” Areg Kochinyan notes.
According to the political scientist, Armenia should work in two directions simultaneously: first, on strengthening Armenia’s resilience, which will increase the cost of waging war against Armenia, and second, on bilateral negotiations, which in turn will reduce the cost of cooperation and peace with Armenia.
Areg Kochinyan believes that as long as Russia is absent from the South Caucasus with its political involvement and energy, Armenia and Azerbaijan should take advantage of the situation to ensure positive shifts in the region. Otherwise, all the doors currently open to both countries will close.
When asked whether Armenia is an irrational player in the region, the political scientist notes that this policy has been formed and continued in Armenia for decades, as a result of which important issues concerning Armenia were discussed not with Armenia itself, but with Russia.
