Former Minister of Defense Tells Syunik Residents: If You Want to Defend Positions, We Are Not With You, Says Opposition MP

“The new road passing through Tatev is not an alternative; trucks with trailers will not be able to travel freely in winter. The villages of Shurnukh, Vorotan, and Bardzravan are connected to Goris-Kapan via the Vorotan road, while the new road will be through a forested area, which is dangerous and inconvenient for villagers, taking into account the interests of farmers,” said Anna Grigoryan, a member of the 'Armenia' parliamentary group, to 24News.

“There was no plan to hand over the regions of Kovsakan and Sanasar after the war, but the government made the decision to hand them over. Until December 17, the community leaders involved in Syunik's self-defense have not retreated, and they informed the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff that if they withdraw, we will lose strategically significant heights, and the security of roads and Syunik will be compromised. At first, they were told that they must stand firm until the end, but the former Minister of Defense, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, called at the last minute and said: 'If you want to defend, be aware, we are not with you,' which means that the people organizing self-defense have been left alone, as there was an oral agreement to hand over those areas to Azerbaijan,” the MP noted.