Absurdity Genre: Our Agenda Includes Returning 4440 km² of Territory, Says Vahram Poghosyan Regarding Reports of Handing Over the Road to Shushi

Such information, I can assert definitively, is from the genre of absurdity. This was stated by Vahram Poghosyan, the head of the information department of the Artsakh presidential administration, in an interview with Auroranews.am, commenting on reports about handing over the road from the Red Market to Shushi to Azerbaijan.

Earlier, one Telegram channel disseminated information that Nikol Pashinyan and Arayik Harutyunyan had agreed to hand over the road from the Red Market to Shushi to Azerbaijan.

“Notably, Azerbaijan is planning to construct a new, separate road to Shushi. As a result of this decision, the strategic road leading to Amarass will be endangered,” the publication states.

To contain the anticipated noise surrounding this topic, the Azerbaijani side has agreed to return a few prisoners, it was mentioned in the report.

“Such information, I can assert definitively, is from the genre of absurdity, and today the authorities of Artsakh cannot discuss any issues regarding territorial concessions; such an agenda cannot exist. Conversely, today we are discussing the issue of returning 4440 km² of territory, and there can be no concession or question of territorial concessions,” said Vahram Poghosyan.

He clarified in our conversation that the discussion concerns the territory of Artsakh, which is currently occupied by Azerbaijan.

When asked about the potential dissolution of the Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and whether President Arayik Harutyunyan intends to handle foreign policy issues himself, as had also been circulated online, Vahram Poghosyan stated that “this information has no relation to reality; there is no such issue and it has not been discussed.”

Regarding the return of prisoners, Poghosyan noted that it is a process that occurs daily. “Any careless statement can hinder the process; therefore, I will refrain from providing any answers regarding this matter. I can emphatically say that the process continues, and every day we should expect that, yes, we can indeed receive good news in this direction,” he stated.