The Washington accords, signed on August 8, outline an agreement in which the United States receives exclusive rights to oversee and manage a new transit route through Armenian territory.
This route would provide Azerbaijan with a link to its Nakhichevan exclave, a long-standing demand by Baku in post-war negotiations with Armenia. The agreement was reached during high-level talks in Washington hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a significant shift in regional logistics and diplomatic alignments in the South Caucasus.
In response to a query from the Ilur news website, Ter-Petrosian, who has strongly criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his government on multiple occasions in recent years, acknowledged the polarized domestic reactions to the deal. “The government, naturally, touts it as one of its greatest successes. And the parliamentary opposition, just as naturally, not only sees nothing positive in the agreement, but, on the contrary, predicts disastrous consequences from its implementation,” he said.
He added: “As for the question addressed to me, I will refrain from responding for now, as I am convinced that it is only possible to comment on it after the implementation of the agreement.”
Ter-Petrosian also expressed uncertainty over the muted or nuanced reactions from key regional powers, Iran and Russia. “The various assessments (which may be complementing each other) made by friendly Iran’s officials and especially the near-complete silence from Russia now bewilder me,” he stated.
The former president emphasized the historically positive relations between Armenia and Iran, describing Tehran’s diplomatic posture as “subtle.” He noted that “since the restoration of our country’s independence, Iran has not only never expressed any dissatisfaction or reproach toward Armenia, but has responded positively to all of our needs.”
Prime Minister Pashinian and his political team have presented the deal signed in Washington as a strategic success that paves the way for long-term peace with Azerbaijan and opens up new opportunities for regional cooperation.
The parliamentary opposition aligned with two former presidents, Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian, as well as several non-parliamentary opposition figures have harshly criticized the agreement, claiming it goes against Armenia’s interests and poses risks to its national sovereignty.