This is a border incident that cannot be immediately characterized as a military operation, says Hovik Aghazaryan

Hovik Aghazaryan, a member of the National Assembly from the 'My Step' faction, spoke with reporters today regarding the incursion of Azerbaijani armed forces into Armenian territory. He believes that the resolution of the issue should primarily be sought through negotiations, particularly within the framework of the CSTO, given Armenia's status there.

'In any case, considering the provocative stance of our neighbors, it is not excluded that a situation might arise where the issue is resolved through forceful means,' Aghazaryan said.

When asked about the expectations from the meeting of the foreign ministers of CSTO countries that started today, and whether the CSTO is delaying its response, he responded, 'There is no issue of delay; every incident of this nature has its definition and evaluation. This is a border incident that cannot be immediately characterized as a military operation. Therefore, the CSTO, which operates based on its charter, which considers the area as a unified space, must go through a specific phase of discussion regarding such issues, after which concrete actions will be implemented.'

'I believe that the foreign ministers of the CSTO should issue a statement, for example, appealing to the Azerbaijani authorities to free those territories as soon as possible, as everything is very precise in this case.'

Aghazaryan added that Azerbaijan is not setting any conditions: 'The only position Azerbaijan has at the moment is that, according to their maps, this is considered part of their territory. But in fact, when reconciling our maps with those held by the 102nd military base, it is clarified that this is Armenian territory. Therefore, this issue should be resolved at this level.'

'I do not rule out that perhaps Azerbaijan has ulterior provocative motives, which is why our Ministry of Defense must be prepared for any changing circumstances and make decisions accordingly. However, in front of the international community and from the standpoint of international law, taking everything into account, we must exhaust all legal and political avenues. I believe that we will not exhaust them, and the resolution of the issue will be through peaceful means as we all want, which is the right path.'