Ohanian: 'If They Get a Hit Once, They Will Not Advance in Artsakh or Armenia Again.'

The continuous pressures, provocations, and impositions by Azerbaijan towards Armenia and Artsakh persist after the 44-day war. This was stated today, December 5, during a conversation with journalists in the National Assembly by Seyran Ohanian, the leader of the ‘Armenia’ parliamentary faction and former Minister of Defense, referencing the closure of the road connecting Artsakh to Armenia by Azerbaijan two days prior.

“A vivid proof of the continuity of these pressures is the document we discussed during the extraordinary session of the National Assembly on December 2—the November 8 statement by Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis. The Azerbaijanis claim that they were right to start a war against Artsakh and then against Armenia, and that they were correct in bringing down their iron fist on the enemy's head and crushing them. Secondly, they are openly and cynically distorting the entire history of the Artsakh conflict, attempting to portray the Armenian people as the aggressors, while we know that the aggressor is Azerbaijan. The crimes committed by Azerbaijanis are being manipulated to present the Armenian people as the perpetrators,” Ohanian noted.

“They continue to apply pressures, stating that they have presented five points regarding the establishment of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, which Armenia must implement. If not, they will pursue their objectives to the end, even mentioning the Zangezur corridor. Such provocations will continue to occur in the future, both in and around Artsakh. Not long ago, claims were made that weapons, ammunition, and mines were being transported through that road. This creates a basis for them to later exert broad control over that corridor,” Ohanian highlighted.

He reminded that in their prepared statement, they also included several important points regarding the self-determination of Artsakh, the concept of the Republic of Artsakh, and Armenia's commitment to being a guarantor of the security and sustainable development of the Artsakh people. “Regarding our statement, we unconditionally accepted 9 out of the 18 points presented by the authorities, consulted on 5 points, and 4 points were our main red lines. These authorities did not accept them. The authorities seem to think that this terminology and vocabulary can lead to provocations. We believe the opposite—bowing to the fake peace agenda, agreeing with the dictates put forward by Azerbaijan, unilaterally moving towards concessions, and failing to present your interests, failing to ensure your security will only lead to various provocations from Azerbaijan,” the opposition MP emphasized.

“The government says we should not pledge Armenia for Artsakh. Wasn't the entire struggle we undertook aimed at supporting and fighting for Artsakh? What actions have you implemented during this period to prevent Azerbaijan from carrying out provocations? Azerbaijanis see that our borders are unfortified, allowing them to advance, which is why these provocations are occurring. If they take a hit once, they will not come forward again, neither in Artsakh nor at the borders of Armenia,” Seyran Ohanian concluded.