Pasadena’s Armenian Community Unhappy With Truce Agreement in Nagorno-Karabakh

It’s been more than a month since deadly fighting between Armenian and Turkish-backed Azerbaijani forces came to an end in Nagorno-Karabakh, but many in the Armenian American community in Pasadena and around the world say land concessions granted to Azerbaijan in a truce agreement signed by Armenia’s prime minister earlier this week went too far.

While an end to the bloodshed that began on Sept. 27 comes as a welcome development, the agreement signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Tuesday has resulted in widespread protests in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, according to The Associated Press.

Under the agreement, Armenian is to hand over territories it held outside of the ethnically Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, The AP reported. Among them is the Lachin region, which contains the main road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Russian peacekeepers are to enforce the truce for five years and are tasked with making sure the road remains open, according to The AP.

Former Pasadena City Council candidate Bo Patatian said it seemed as though Armenia’s hand was forced due to the overwhelming military force it faced.

“From start to finish, it’s a really bad situation,” Patatian said.

“Now there’s civil unrest in Armenia because Pashinian was made to sign an agreement that gave away almost four of the seven major provinces of Artsakh we have held since the 1990s,” Patatian said.

“And it wasn’t much of a deal, because in the southernmost part, it actually creates an unimpeded zone between Azerbaijan and Turkey, which basically cuts right through Armenia proper. [That] not only endangers the lives of Armenians in Artsakh, but not directly puts the Armenians in Armenia proper in the line of fire, because now it creates an avenue and a connection between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“But after more than a month of combat, [Pashinian ] signed it because he had no other alternative… There would be more bloodshed if he had not signed that agreement,” Patatian said.

The future remains unclear, and Patatian said he was expecting the Armenian Parliament to get involved in the situation soon.

But he urged caution and thoughtfulness.

“Anything that happens in life that’s made in haste and in a moment of anger and confusion doesn’t necessarily get to a positive outcome,” Patatian said. “I think that, given the opportunity for the dust to settle and for cooler heads to prevail… if history is prologue to anything, then we’ll be able to sort this out in an amicable manner.”

Pasadena businessman Chris Karageuzian said he took issue with the agreement.

“It’s not something I agree with. We’re waiting to see what truly is going to be transpired and finished because no one can be or should be proud of giving back our rightful lands. There’re talks about Russian peacekeepers already at the front lines and border to escort people out,” he said.

“We’re not happy with that result. We demand that we keep those lands. We demand that the world wakes up and help,” Karageuzian said. “It’s something that is beyond just Armenia and Azerbaijan. It’s basically Armenia versus global terrorism and nationalism.”

Community members have written to Congress and the president seeking support, he said.

“We see no action… We just see words,” Karageuzian said. “We need to strengthen our people. We need to strengthen our economy, strengthen our army and military, the proper way, to defend itself, because we are truly alone.”

Former Pasadena City Council candidate Joe Baghdadlian said he, too, was displeased with the seemingly unilateral decision of Armenia’s prime minister.

“If I was prime minister of Armenia, I would go back to my people and ask them, ‘What do you think? We’re losing this war and so on because Turkey is getting F-16s, and we [in the U.S.] supply Turkey with F-16s,’” he said.

“The United States, our President Trump, he was saying, ‘We will do something.’” Baghdadlian. “He didn’t do anything.”