VIDEO: There are no Armenian settlements there, those were Azerbaijani villages, says ruling party MP from Ijevan

The demarcation and delimitation, as far as I know, should take place throughout the Tavush region; neither Baghanis nor Berkaber has been mentioned as areas to be ceded.

This was stated by Vahe Qalumyan, an MP from the ruling Civil Contract party, during a briefing with journalists.

In response to a journalist's question about which villages are to be handed over to Azerbaijan, Qalumyan said: 'There are no such villages in the Republic of Armenia. The matter is very delicate and sensitive; Prime Minister Pashinyan has had extensive meetings with the residents of the border regions and presented the situation. The decision on the status of these villages will be made by the demarcation commission based on maps and joint work. No territory from the 29,800 square kilometers of the Republic of Armenia will be ceded; for me, the ownership of these villages is irrelevant, and it does not matter who governs them; there is international law. Many Armenian lands are also under Azerbaijan’s control.'

He added that the mentioned villages have been de facto inhabited Azerbaijani villages and that the 31 villages referred to by Pashinyan are areas of boundaries, pastures, and arable lands.

Responding to concerns that Verin Voskepar could be isolated, the MP stated: 'Verin Voskepar is located on the left side of the Ijevan-Noyemberyan road, with the right side being Azerbaijani territory; there is an enclave issue on the left side, but it will not be isolated. Interstate roads currently pass through Azerbaijani territory in certain places and then remain in Armenia. There is an issue with road changes, which is not a problem for the state; these roads will be constructed and will be under our control.'

When asked how the issue of the residents of the ceded villages would be resolved, Qalumyan stated: 'There are no Armenian settlements there; those were Azerbaijani villages that came under Armenian control in the 1990s, but there are no Armenians living there. I am not sure that there are any houses there; if there are, they will receive solutions from the state. All of this is part of the peace process; we need to move towards solutions and resolve this issue once and for all.'

For more details, watch the video.