What Would I Do in Sochi If I Were the Prime Minister of Armenia? Naira Zohrabyan

Former MP Naira Zohrabyan's statement: “What would I do today in Sochi if I were the Prime Minister of Armenia? Today, a trilateral meeting is scheduled in Sochi with Putin, Pashinyan, and Aliyev. The agenda includes the unblocking of transport routes, delimitation, and demarcation.

It seems that a document will be signed or a statement will be adopted to create a commission for delimitation and demarcation, and to initiate the process of unblocking transport routes.

If I were the Prime Minister, I would raise the immediate return of the prisoners of war and captured civilians from the 44-day war and the events of November 16 as a legitimate prerequisite before signing any document to establish the delimitation and demarcation commission.

Point 8 of the joint statement from November 9 last year, which states, “Exchanges of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons, as well as the bodies of the deceased, are taking place,” has yet to be implemented. No document should be signed until there is public assurance that the boys will be released immediately.

As of now, Azerbaijan refuses to provide any information regarding those captured on November 16, despite information from various sources indicating that there are 32 captives, one of whom is seriously wounded and from Vanadzor. This should be the first prerequisite.

Second, the delimitation and demarcation process should not be linked to the issue of Artsakh. The issue of recognizing territories should not be raised until the status of Artsakh is resolved. This process should be left to the OSCE Minsk Group, and it seems there is consensus in the international community on this matter.

And third, if I were Prime Minister, today in Sochi, I would reiterate another clear prerequisite that should be recorded in the prepared or forthcoming text: control over the unblocked transportation routes must be exclusively under our sovereignty. Of course, this excludes any discussion of a corridor, which Azerbaijan and Turkey are striving for.”