“168 Zham” says Nagorno-Karabakh’s de jure recognition by Armenia alone would not necessarily lead to similar diplomatic moves by other countries. The paper says that the Armenian government has failed to prepare ground for such recognitions years before the escalation of the conflict with Azerbaijan. “It is obvious that there have been no such efforts going beyond statements and declarations,” it complains.
“All peoples close the ranks in the face of adversity but Armenians do so in a special way,” writes “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun.” “The April war [in Karabakh] is the best evidence of that. All sections [of the Armenian society] decided to follow the principle of ‘everything for the frontline, everything for the victory.’ But more pragmatic nations do not do this when they are faced with grave dangers. Instead, they rally around an idea or program of building the kind of state that will never find itself in such dangerous situations … We have consistently failed to rally around such an idea.”
“Zhoghovurd” reports that Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian on Wednesday urged reporters to praise, not criticize, the Armenian military for its response to Azerbaijan’s April 2 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. The paper says that while Armenians should recognize the bravery of their soldiers, the military leadership “must not hide behind our heroes in order to cover up its mistakes.” “After all, our heroes and their families now need to be not only glorified by the media but also receive state support. This is why we too demand that the government and the Defense Ministry consider the needs of our heroes and their loved ones to be their top priority.”
“Zhamanak” criticizes Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian for categorically rejecting on Wednesday allegations about widespread government corruption and other abuses made by critics of Armenia’s political leadership. “One should certainly not expect to hear anything different from Hovik Abrahamian,” comments the paper. “After all, his premiership has been a failure on all fronts.” It reminds readers of Abrahamian’s conspicuous wealth and, in particular, his sprawling mansion in Yerevan.
(Tigran Avetisian)