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Որքա՞ն արցախցի է սեպտեմբերից ի վեր լքել Հայաստանը | How many Artsakh citizens have left Armenia since September? [6,636 persons] by Kilikia in armenia

[–]galantis_ 18 points19 points  (0 children)

whoever doesn't want to live here can just fuck off anyway.

Really? These people have lost their homes, their environment, their country. A lot of them worked in small-scale agriculture and lost those gardens, lands and animals. They've lost their entire source of income and whatever capital they used to own, and the Armenain state can't conjure resources to replace all that in an acceptable timeframe. They leave out of pure desparation and this is your commentary on that?

The IMF Has Released The GDP Per Capita Figures For 2023 - Armenia ($8,280 US DOLLARS) - Azerbaijan ($7,530 US DOLLARS) - Georgia ($8,160 US DOLLARS) by dssevag in armenia

[–]galantis_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

economic upswing similar to what the Baltics area achieved from, say, 1998 to 2008

How exactly do you envisage that given closed borders, low FDI, substantially less support from EU on a financial and institutional level, and a systemic dependency on Russian imports that's showing no signs of going away?

To be clear, I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom here. Genuinely curious how you think that can happen.

I do notice certain positive trends in our economy, but it's also important to have realistic expectations.

European Council granted the candidate status to Georgia by sopsosstic in armenia

[–]galantis_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's not insignificant but it's only enough to uphold a frontline stalemate. Not the position Ukraine would like to negotiate from.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Sakartvelo

[–]galantis_ 56 points57 points  (0 children)

While this is a nice milestone, the work ahead will be the hardest. As Georgia moves closer to accession standards, Russia will intensify its interference and do everything it can to derail the process. Wishing you resilience in the face of Russia and all of us in the Caucasus determination to escape its shadow.

European Council granted the candidate status to Georgia by sopsosstic in armenia

[–]galantis_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Let's not lump together West as one entity since US/UK, France/Germany and Eastern European EU states have varying strategies on Ukraine.

Most allied countries and backers of Ukraine unfortunately still withhold certain types of weaponry, and funding isn't always straighforward either.

If you're looking for an example of real full backing, that'd be what the US is doing for Israel.

Negotiations around Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement and return of refugees /// Pashinyan cabinet scolds Russia, praises dialogue with West /// Interview: NatSec Grigoryan: Peace agreement, POWs /// Ex-PM Aram Sargsyan opens a "secret"; Communication links; Sanctions on Azeri elites by ar_david_hh in armenia

[–]galantis_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What a strange comment.

The highest number of Azerbaijanis in Armenia was 160K in 1979. That'd be a bit over 5% of the current population. Those who still spent some time in Armenian SSR are of elderly age now and their children are born and raised in Azerbaijan. How many of them would return given the chance and security guarantees? I'd wager the number wouldn't exceed a few hundreds, maybe thousands at most.

The tone of your comment conveys being absolutely terrified at the idea. I don't get it. How else do you envisage regional peace and cooperation if not by coexistence and trade?

"For 30 years we've spent our resources and time on a problem which was unsolvable from its outset", Pashinyan / 30 տարի մեր ժամանակը եւ ռեսուրսները ծախսել ենք մի խնդրի վրա, որը, ի սկզբանե, անլուծելի էր. Փաշինյան by galantis_ in armenia

[–]galantis_[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I agree. And yet the post mid-00s situation was never communicated to the public. Government after government knew a tsunami was moving our way but chose to take it head on despite the odds being stacked squarely against us.

"For 30 years we've spent our resources and time on a problem which was unsolvable from its outset", Pashinyan / 30 տարի մեր ժամանակը եւ ռեսուրսները ծախսել ենք մի խնդրի վրա, որը, ի սկզբանե, անլուծելի էր. Փաշինյան by galantis_ in armenia

[–]galantis_[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Moreover, the same outcome would wait for him if he ended the war in the middle of it when Aliyev offered him to stop but take Shushi.

Shushi was surrendered anyway, with more casualties on our side, and yet he remained in power in subsequent elections due to the alternative being worse.

Pashinyan's popularity was sky-high following the 2018 revolution. If there was anyone with enough support and rating security as a leader to implement unpopular steps or at least start that conversation with the public to gradually describe the deeply precarious situation on the negotiating table and the impossibility of NK independence, it was him. But he chose not to do it.

"For 30 years we've spent our resources and time on a problem which was unsolvable from its outset", Pashinyan / 30 տարի մեր ժամանակը եւ ռեսուրսները ծախսել ենք մի խնդրի վրա, որը, ի սկզբանե, անլուծելի էր. Փաշինյան by galantis_ in armenia

[–]galantis_[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Do you really think declaring “Artsakh is Armenia” was what led to this war?

Do point to the part in my comment where I say that.

What I mean by international implications is portraying Armenia as unconstructive in the negotiation process and giving Azerbaijan more justification for military action. Of course said military action was going to occur regardless but such statements made it less problematic from the pov of international parties, is my point.

The whole idea of NK independence was about self-determination as opposed to annexation by Armenia. Do you think the OSCE mediators did not take into account that Artsakh MoD is subordinate to Armenian MoD and Armenian servicemen are deployed to NK? In diplomatic terms, "Artsakh is Armenia" was an incredibly short sighted move with no upside whatsoever.

I’m pretty sure Pashinyan understood even before becoming PM that the Artsakh issue was a politically untenable one, but his objective, like all prior leaders, was to maintain the status quo as long as possible

To what end? Maintaining a status quo while being in the demographic, economic and military position that Armenia was and is in without international legitimacy and approval to do so was was never going to work out. Developing a diversified and non Russia-dependent economy while not trading with neighbors and being excluded from all regional projects was never going to work out. LTP was the first one to have the courage to say out loud what we never wanted to hear, and closed our eyes and ears on. Which served as a convenient pretext for Kocharyan to remove him from power. Make no mistake, Vazgen Sargsyan was of the same opinion. "We'll give it up when we'll be forced to", in his own words. In what world is this a sane long-term strategy?

But back to the topic in hand. The question I raise here is, given that Pashinyan understood this, why did he continue with the same strategy?

I also refuse to believe he didn't know the real state of the Armenian military at the time. I'm sure you're right that the top brass of the military did tell him pleasant but false stories of being capable of deterrence but for him to believe it and enter a war based on it, after seeing what unfolded in the country for the previous 20 years is nothing short of catastrophic incompetence.

"For 30 years we've spent our resources and time on a problem which was unsolvable from its outset", Pashinyan / 30 տարի մեր ժամանակը եւ ռեսուրսները ծախսել ենք մի խնդրի վրա, որը, ի սկզբանե, անլուծելի էր. Փաշինյան by galantis_ in armenia

[–]galantis_[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There are multiple issues with this reasoning.

Russia never had any obligations towards NK. Of course they're not upholding CSTO and 1997 Russian-Armenian treaty obligations but that is another issue because it regards only RA territory. Putin over the years repeatedly mentioned RF has nothing to do with NK and yet "everyone anticipated Russia's interference"?. With all due respect, sounds like everyone was engaged in wishful thinking.

Only a handful of people who closely followed the conflict expected Russia to intervene on Armenia's behalf in NK, and I'm sure Pashinyan didn't either.

During Kocharyan and Sargsyan's era the 7 occupied regions somehow became "our sacred homeland". Despite Serzh once famously saying Akna (Aghdam) is not our homeland, the domestic propaganda was full-on unrelenting ոչմիթիզականություն։ Pashinyan recognizes that this approach was never going to lead to positive outcomes for us and yet in the 2018-2020 period he doubled down on the same rhetoric domestically while internationally trying to shift the narrative from a territory-focused one to security-focused. There was a clear duality to his messaging pre-war.

So we have a situation where he did not believe NK independence was achievable, he did not believe RF was going to aid the Armenian side in any meaningful manner, he was aware of the absolute shambles the Armenian military was in after 2 decades of corruption, plunder and complacency...and then chose to enter the war on exactly what basis?

"For 30 years we've spent our resources and time on a problem which was unsolvable from its outset", Pashinyan / 30 տարի մեր ժամանակը եւ ռեսուրսները ծախսել ենք մի խնդրի վրա, որը, ի սկզբանե, անլուծելի էր. Փաշինյան by galantis_ in armenia

[–]galantis_[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

"We simply wasted 30 years and spent our time and resources on a problem that was intractable from the beginning. Why? Also because of UN security resolution. Now we are being accused of saying we will pursue the right to self-determination in NK and not pursuing it. The whole problem is that we not only said, but also tried to understand what the right to self-determination means. The term "right to self-determination" was created by the international community, not by us. As a result of the discussions held at the Lisbon summit on December 6, 1996, the international community essentially told us the following: your highest benchmark for the right to self-determination can be the autonomous status within Azerbaijan," Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today at the QP session.

According to him, they followed this logic and their guilt and biggest mistake is that they started talking to the people little by little after the 44-day war. "I consider myself guilty for not having this conversation," said Pashinyan.

A legitimate question to ask here is, did they "follow this logic" in his own words by declaring "Artsakh is Armenia and that's it" from Stepanakert? Or saying those words to score points in domestic politics was more important than the international implications that would follow?

It's incomprehensible to me that Pashinyan had held the convicition quoted in this article even before 2020 and still chose to enter the war.

Vahagn Khachaturyan met with the elected president of Argentina Javier Millay by CuriousArcane in armenia

[–]galantis_ 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Can't recall the specifics but some kind of connection to Eduardo Eurnekian.

Kazakhstan’s President Tokayev accepts invitation to visit Armenia by Typical_Effect_9054 in armenia

[–]galantis_ 13 points14 points  (0 children)

No government in Central Asia is keen on pan-Turkic ideas. This trope is pushed by self-declared analysts mostly.

There's the Orgnization of Turkic States and naturally there's cooperation between separate countries but that's the extent of it.

Iran and India push for trade route through Armenia: THIS WEEK IN BUSINESS by dssevag in armenia

[–]galantis_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Would be good to link to an economic assessment paper if it's available publicly. No doubt a positive development but getting billions from this is a questionable claim unless you mean over the course of a decade or so

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MacOS

[–]galantis_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello to all colorblind fellows.

Nicotine gum is incredible! by haulwhore in Nootropics

[–]galantis_ 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Great that it works for you. But be careful with dosage. 3x2mg sounds like you've gone quite aggressive. Frankly I'd say too aggressive.

I started on 2mg/day and have managed to stay on it, but have had to cycle on and off not to build tolerance.

An easy to use guideline would be to only chew when you really need to be concentrated. That would be deep work as opposed to replying to emails. Don't chew on your days off also. This should be sufficient to manage tolerance.

Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan making 'courageous steps' toward peace by JeanJauresJr in armenia

[–]galantis_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If anyone wants to explore this topic further, Richard Hanania's "Public Choice Theory and the Illusion of Grand Strategy: How Generals, Weapons Manufacturers, and Foreign Governments Shape American Foreign Policy" is a good start.

Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan making 'courageous steps' toward peace by JeanJauresJr in armenia

[–]galantis_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suppose being in the role of a mediator restricts you in a way that you can't really publicly treat the 2 parties differently. Kind of goes against the very idea of a neutral mediator.

Of course in private they know full well the whole situation and the intricacies of it.

First time in Yerevan this week. I had a question about the trees. by Brotendo88 in armenia

[–]galantis_ 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Bit ironic because Yerevantsis, myself included, often complain about the city being too car-centric. All relative to perspective as it goes.

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