VIDEO: 'Armenia Has No Armed Forces in Artsakh Territory', Mirzoyan

Armenia has no armed forces in the territory of Artsakh, and Artsakh has a defense army, whose mission is the self-defense of the Artsakh Armenians, given the risk of ethnic cleansing they face.

This was stated by Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a Q&A session with government officials in the National Assembly, in response to a question from MP Arman Yeghoyan.

The MP recalled accusations made by Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister regarding the incomplete implementation of the November 9 agreements. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister particularly pointed to the issue of reopening regional communications, blaming Armenia, and also spoke about the presence of the Armenian armed forces in the territory of Artsakh.

“We have repeatedly stated that Armenia has no armed forces in the territory of Artsakh. We know that Artsakh has a defense army. And the name of this formation, this army itself suggests that the mission of this army is the self-defense of the Artsakh Armenians. This mission is more necessary today than ever. The Artsakh Armenians continue to be fired upon and are subjected to various pressures. When the threat of ethnic cleansing against the Artsakh Armenians disappears, I believe that the Artsakh Armenians will be able to discuss possible alternative scenarios,” said Mirzoyan.

Addressing the November 9 statement, the Foreign Minister stated that unfortunately, the provisions of the November 9 agreement have not been fully implemented. The issue primarily concerns the delay in the release of Armenian prisoners of war and other unlawfully held individuals. Regarding the unblocking of regional economic ties, Mirzoyan said, “We met yesterday within the framework of the working group. The work and discussions are ongoing. The issues under discussion are quite complex, with many layers and sub-layers, but the work is progressing.”

The Foreign Minister assured that the Armenian side demonstrates maximum constructiveness in all discussions across all topics.