Aliyev's Statements and Demands Must Be Taken Seriously: Kocharyan

The Azerbaijani troops must be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Armenia through peaceful means. This was stated by the Chairman of the Permanent Committee on Defense and Security Issues, Andranik Kocharyan, during a press briefing with journalists in the National Assembly.

According to him, our unified strength must compel Azerbaijan to withdraw its forces. "Let us not forget that since 1994 they have been contemplating the issues we have overlooked. After the ceasefire, they built an army, we suffered losses, and now we must strengthen our security environment every day," Kocharyan said.

In response to a question regarding Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's desire for Armenia and Azerbaijan to negotiate directly, and for the peace agreement to be concluded without guarantors, Kocharyan noted that it is a very tempting proposal. "He says there should be no international guarantors, but what are international platforms for, if not to have these guarantees enshrined in text and resulting actions? The guarantees must be preserved by some powers," he emphasized.

The Chairman of the Defense Committee stated that the head of the opposing state can present many demands and desires, but the issue is that we must create the opportunity to prevent those desires. He added that the relevant structures are working daily to create those opportunities.

According to Kocharyan, Aliyev's statements and demands should be taken seriously, even though they may be electoral declarations aimed at the domestic audience.