Armenia is taking provocative steps at the Lachin border checkpoint because some people in the Armenian political system and government do not want to accept that their country lost the war, Matthew Bryza, international expert, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan, and Board Member of the Jamestown Foundation, told Report.
The expert explained why he is not very much concerned about the situation around the Lachin road.
"Armenia is trying to reopen the question of the legal status of Karabakh. Even though Prime Minister Pashinyan himself has already recognized Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, including Karabakh, still there are people in the Armenian political system and government who don't want to accept that Armenia lost the war," he said, there is no other choice for Armenia but to accept the reality.
According to the expert, for this reason, the Armenian side is taking provocative steps like their attempt to deliver 'humanitarian cargo' through the Lachin border checkpoint.
"Azerbaijan will continue to exercise its own political and legal rights by saying, 'Well, we will send the humanitarian assistance via the Aghdam road'."
"I think the mediation is helping very much to move the process forward," the expert said.
He stressed the key point right now is that the countries are moving towards the peace treaty and the closer they get to the peace treaty, the more active are the people who want to spoil the peace treaty.
The expert noted that Armenia doesn't have a military force which is capable of fighting Azerbaijan in a serious way.
None of other actors in the regon neither Russia nor Türkiye nor the United States and the European Union would like to see another war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, he said.
"As long as Pashinyan is not physically attacked and removed from office, we will see an agreement, a peace agreement, in coming weeks or maybe months," Bryza said.