Armenia’s minister of defense ruled out the return of any inch of land to Azerbaijan in the wake of the upcoming processes over Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
Speaking to Tert.am, Seyran Ohanyan said that Armenia expects only a peaceful settlement plan from the international mediators’ upcoming meeting in Moscow.
Asked to comment on the final outcome of the discussions spearheaded by the OSCE Minsk Group, the minister replied, “I think the responsibility for our diplomacy lies upon the competent [government] agencies, which are profoundly informed of the negotiation process. We have only one expectation: implementation of our proposal to achieve only a peaceful political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, relying on a dialogue, mutual agreements, and, last but not least, confidence-building.”
Addresssing rumors on returning regions, Ohanyan stressed the importance of comprehensive decisions stemming from the negotiation process.
“In the existing reality when it is so difficult find common ground with the adversary – especially after the four-day war and in the wake of increased provocations – [the mechanisms promoting] confidence-building on the frontline keep being rejected. That allows us to say that without an atmosphere of trust, mutual agreements will be out of the question. Should anything happen to Artsakh or its people, we will fight for every inch of land.”
Ohanyan said they have observed no tensions over the recent period, with the recently reached agreements being “more or less respected”. He added that Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Army uses no heavy equipment, relying only on preventive measures when necessary.