What is the Situation in Aghavno and Berdzor Communities? MP Provides Details

Aghavno and Berdzor communities are being handed over very hastily by our authorities, as there is no similar signal from the Russian side, and the Russian peacekeepers are still stationed there. This was stated by Metakse Hakobyan, a member of the Artsakh National Assembly from the 'Justice' faction, in an interview with NEWS.am regarding their recent visit to Aghavno and Berdzor.

“Indeed, it’s terrifying when there are people living in Aghavno and Berdzor who cannot detach themselves from the land, they simply cannot. I don’t know how they will manage; we will go again, but yesterday the situation was such that these people were completely left alone, all alone. For example, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures had come with the order of their superior and took away the electricity supply device, which means they entirely deprived the people of electricity, and this was done by the Armenian side—the authorities,” she said.

According to her, the handover of these communities is happening very hastily under the instructions from the Republic of Armenia, while the authorities here are executing the orders, as they consider that their homeland does not exist, and what is important for them are the orders from Nikol and Aliyev.

Regarding the request made by the opposition factions in Artsakh for a meeting with the commander of the peacekeeping contingent, the MP noted that they have questions to raise during the meeting. “Since the date of the handover of Khzraberd, the series of verbal agreements has not ended, and this is very obvious. After each meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, there is a chain of misfortunes, and it is evident that this case is also a result of verbal agreements. We are inclined to think that this is a form of pressure to obtain the Zangezur corridor, but by making concessions at Artsakh's expense, the Armenian authorities are trying to delay the issue of the corridor. Naturally, we must understand what is actually happening, as the statements from the parties do not align. The positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan coincide, yet the envoy's statement indicates otherwise,” she emphasized.

Metakse Hakobyan is convinced that with the trilateral statement, Armenia has renounced its role as a guarantor of Artsakh's security. “The authorities of Artsakh have entered a very dangerous game, yielding to the Armenian authorities, yet they do not understand that they cannot be a negotiating party, which results in the decisions on Artsakh being made by Russia and Azerbaijan,” she stated.

According to the MP, the only solution now is the unification of the people, not with demands for the resignation of the authorities, but with the demand that they fulfill the will of the people. “The people will rise and demand that if there is a new route, it should be within the logic of a corridor, not allowing these authorities to deceive and put Artsakh in blockade. It may seem superficial that the issue is only about Aghavno and Berdzor, but right now the issue of Artsakh is being decided,” Metakse Hakobyan emphasized.