What Should We Do, Should We Not Fire a 'Salute'? The Administrative Head of Tigranashen on the Possible Handing Over of the Village

The possible handover of Tigranashen is not only a matter for the residents of Tigranashen but also for the entire nation. In an interview with Tert.am, the head of the enlarged community, Lyudvik Stepanyan, expressed this perspective.

Tigranashen is located within the administrative territory of the Paruyr Sevak enlarged community. The administrative head does not wish to engage in debates regarding enclaves. According to him, the issue of enclaves has not yet been resolved and is still under discussion, so he does not want to make premature statements.

He mentioned that everyone has heard what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said about Tigranashen. However, Lyudvik Stepanyan expresses his frustration that everywhere he goes, people are asking him about the transfer of Tigranashen. He admits that he has neither understood the words of the country's leader nor has he heard anything specific: "I haven't heard anything about handing Tigranashen over to Azerbaijan. I have heard that the negotiations are based on the maps from 1975, and discussions are ongoing regarding that matter. I have heard from Pashinyan's mouth that when Azerbaijanis withdraw from our territories and return Artsvashen, then, yes, there can also be a similar approach regarding Tigranashen. There could also be issues of exchange," he noted.

When asked what they would do in the event of a possible handover or exchange of enclaves, Lyudvik Stepanyan responded, "What should we do, should we not fire a 'salute'? Our country is currently in a difficult situation, facing numerous challenges. Even at some point, we need to find risky solutions for the sake of our future generations. However, this does not mean that we should hand over territories. We need to understand what belongs to us and what belongs to them. Historically, one would think that our territories should be much larger, but there have been times in history when people from other states have lived in those areas, and they think they are theirs. This is how we have been fighting for 35 years."

The head of the Paruyr Sevak enlarged community stated that the most pressing issues for them today are not the roads and communications, as these are solvable problems; the critical issue is that of territory. "We are often asked about this issue, but by asking such questions as an observer, nothing will change. Everyone has designated themselves as observers and are asking whether Tigranashen will be handed over. But I must emphasize that the situation is very serious; there are matters that are not visible to us, and we do not know what to expect, how security will be ensured, and what we will achieve. My goal is for all of us to focus on this issue," Stepanyan emphasized.