‘According to my information, Armenia has made a proposal regarding Nagorno-Karabakh,’ says MP from the ruling party

It can be considered a slight manipulation on the part of Russia, as gendarmes or police officers are not military personnel. This was stated by Vigen Khachatryan, an MP from the ruling My Step Alliance, in an interview with News.am, commenting on the inclusion of gendarmes in the EU monitoring mission in Armenia and Russia's claims that this mission is not of a civilian nature.

“When we refer to being armed, we mean that they are apparently ensuring security, as various incidents can occur. Russia knows well that this is not the case where they can claim they are armed. They are carrying out a civilian mission,” he said.

Responding to the observation that the West wants to use Armenia merely as a buffer, Khachatryan stated, “Armenia has its national interest, and the state serves that interest.”

When asked if he was satisfied with Nikol Pashinyan's responses to Azerbaijani President Aliyev during the Munich conference, the ruling party MP replied: “This is not a club for the clever and joyful where we can express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a response or humor. The important thing is that the discussion took place; it was significant that Aliyev had to acknowledge that he needs to negotiate with Nagorno-Karabakh. The issue is that he is trying to present this as a gesture of goodwill on his part. The fact is that it was emphasized that such negotiations are necessary. Moreover, he conditioned with whom he should negotiate and who should not represent Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Secondly, the opportunity arose for Pashinyan to emphasize that a Nagorno-Karabakh exists, that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue exists, and that in the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, an international guarantee mechanism should necessarily operate. It is clear that there must be resistance to this from interested parties whose objectives do not coincide with our national interests.”

Regarding why Nikol Pashinyan did not respond when Aliyev made disparaging remarks about Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, he responded: “Disdain is also a form of response; sometimes, by remaining silent, you say more than by speaking excessively. This is not the place for a war of words. Everyone expressed their views, and according to that, they received the appropriate attitude from the international community. In this context, it was clear that Nikol Pashinyan found himself in a more advantageous position. Essentially, Aliyev admitted that he waged war against his own citizens. It also became obvious that he continues his militaristic approach. It was clear that Aliyev was not in a favorable position; his fake smiles spoke otherwise, indicating he was demoralized. It is evident that Armenia's positions are strengthening over time. This is a process that will take a long time, and we still have serious work to do on the diplomatic front. Additionally, we need to avoid military clashes while strengthening our economy and army.”

Regarding the peace treaty, Vigen Khachatryan stated, “The peace treaty itself is not a guarantee against military confrontations, and in this regard, the presence of EU observers in Armenia is very important. The peace treaty may contain hidden texts, based on which Azerbaijan could allow itself to act recklessly. These are delicate issues being developed in the diplomatic field, and our partners are doing everything to ensure that we have no problems arising from the text in the future. According to my information, Armenia has made a proposal regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan will have to accept it sooner or later.”