Armenia Responds to Aliyev's Statements

The Republic of Armenia is doing everything possible to maintain open borders while preserving its sovereignty. This was stated by Vaqarshak Hakobyan, a member of the 'Civil Contract' faction, during a conversation with reporters in the National Assembly, reacting to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement that the road connecting Azerbaijan's eastern regions to Nakhchivan through Armenian territory should operate without customs and passport control.

'Armenia can never concede its sovereignty, its independence. Armenia has done and continues to do everything to ensure open borders while respecting both sovereignty and independence. We are moving in this direction; it is our primary goal,' emphasized the MP.

In response to President Aliyev's claim that Azerbaijan has no intention of withdrawing its troops from the sovereign territories of Armenia that were occupied following the 2020 44-day war, Hakobyan noted that they have witnessed similar rhetoric from the Azerbaijani president for years.

'However, the peace agenda proclaimed by the political authorities of Armenia must advance steadily and logically. Along this path, we may encounter numerous difficulties; there will be attempts to provoke us, and we may be held back from the peace agenda. But politically, this is our priority,' said the MP.

He asserted that the Armenian authorities will do everything possible to make the peace agenda a reality, confirming that Armenia has no desire to deviate from this agenda. Nonetheless, the MP remarked that it cannot be achieved unilaterally.

'We must prioritize the state interests of Armenia above all else. And I personally believe that our state interests require us to move forward with the peace agenda, taking into account all challenges, surprising and unexpected statements,' he noted.

The peace agenda is one that demands consideration of Armenia's state interests. The MP assured that the authorities would not take any steps that do not align with the state interests.

'Our goal is to ensure the safety of Armenia’s 29,800 square kilometers of territory. This path is quite complex and convoluted; it may even be painful. But we must logically bring these steps to their conclusion, because only at this point can Armenia have the future we dream of and foresee,' concluded Hakobyan.