VIDEO. Before the Conflict, Shushi Was Primarily Inhabited by Azerbaijanis - Member of 'My Step'

Before the conflict began, both the Republic of Armenia in its current territory and the Republic of Azerbaijan in its current territory, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in its territory, were part of the Soviet Union. The internal political tension in Armenia negatively impacts the country’s negotiating position.

This was stated by Karapet Mkhchyan, a member of the ‘My Step’ faction, in an interview with NEWS.am, addressing whether he believes the opposition's actions hinder the return of captives, as Prime Minister Pashinyan suggested the day before. “Turning such a sensitive topic, which is a cornerstone issue for us at the negotiating table, into a subject of internal political speculation does not contribute to strengthening Armenia's position,” he said.

The ruling faction member assured that the issue of prisoners of war remains a top priority for the authorities. “The government is working very intensively to find a solution to this issue,” he added.

On the day before, during a Q&A session in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister announced that there has never been a return of prisoners of war on this scale before. There are publications stating that, after the ceasefire in 1994, for instance, 109 prisoners returned to their homeland in 1996. “I do not rule out that this may have happened, so I will refrain from making any comments; it is possible that in 1996, yes, 109 prisoners of war were returned at once,” Mkhchyan remarked.

He noted that the context of the Prime Minister’s statement was that there were also captives in Azerbaijan before the war on September 27, 2020, but that topic had never become a reason for internal political speculation. “I understand that today, unfortunately, we have a considerable number of compatriots with a status of prisoners in Azerbaijan, but turning this sensitive issue into a subject of political speculation is not appropriate and does not contribute to the Armenian side conducting strong negotiations at the table,” he stated.

The Prime Minister raised a question from the National Assembly podium yesterday, asking, “Do you want to say that before the conflict and liberation, Shushi, which had a population of 90 percent or more, was Armenian?” In response to whether, in his position, Shushi was Armenian or Azerbaijani, Karapet Mkhchyan stated, “Before the conflict began, both the Republic of Armenia in its current territory and the Republic of Azerbaijan in its current territory, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in its territory, were part of the Soviet Union, and predominantly Azerbaijanis resided in the city of Shushi.”

Commenting on the opposition's demand for the Prime Minister's resignation and Pashinyan's refusal to step down, Karapet Mkhchyan said that the Prime Minister has invited political forces to discussions on snap parliamentary elections. If there is no consensus on this issue, then, according to Mkhchyan, there will also be no snap elections. The MP supports snap elections, arguing that it is necessary for Armenia following recent events. He believes it would be a surgical operation that would leave the state healthier and stronger. If elections are held, the MP has a high assessment of the ruling party's chances, suggesting they will secure a majority in parliament.