I Did Not Imagine Such an Outcome: Tonoyan on the 'Trump Route'

Former Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan, commenting on the agreement "On Establishing Peace and Interstate Relations Between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan" which was preliminarily signed in Washington, stated in an interview with News.am that he cannot provide an assessment at this time, as everything will become clear once practical steps are taken regarding security and accurate demarcation.

When the journalist referred to the 'Trump Route,' which is reportedly going to be overseen by American forces, he asked whether the former minister envisioned this outcome. Tonoyan replied, “I did not imagine such an outcome. At least what I envisioned was articulated in the November 9 document. Beyond that, the changes that have occurred with people leaving Artsakh, the loss of Lachin, and so on, I certainly did not foresee any of these. Now the situation is different. Based on that different situation, the current authorities are coming to such agreements,” said Davit Tonoyan.

He noted that nobody can say more about the route, because it is unclear what it will entail from the project and construction perspective, what countries will participate, and through what geographic area it will pass. Will it go through Meghri or not? According to him, only after having answers to these questions can conclusions be drawn.

When asked whether he believes in Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's era of peace, Tonoyan replied that there is no issue of believing or not believing.

Tonoyan also commented on the proceedings of his court case, stating that the prosecutor has made a speech and they are preparing to counter it, as he is confident in his correctness. He previously described the case against him as a 'velvet persecution.' In response to the journalist’s question about whether this persecution is still ongoing, the former minister of defense noted, “Yes, according to the proceedings.”