Advantageous positions in Armenia’s Kapan to be handed over to Azerbaijan, mayor confirms

Panorama, Armenia

Dec 17 2020

Advantageous defense positions of the town of Kapan in Armenia’s Syunik Province will be handed over to Azerbaijan by 5 p.m. Friday, Kapan Mayor Gevorg Parsyan confirmed to Aysor.am on Thursday.

“It is correct information. It is a painful order for us. Today in the morning we were ordered to leave by tomorrow 5 p.m. our favorable positions we were holding by November 9 ensuring security zone for Kapan,” he said, adding that they have been ordered to retreat along the borderline.

Asked whether it has been envisaged by the signed trilateral statement, Parsyan said he has not seen anything about Zangelan and Kubatlu regions in it.

“The territory near us is Zangelan, the territory near Goris is Kubatlu. This agreement makes no mention of Kubatlu and Zangelan regions,” he said.

The mayor stressed that he has repeatedly warned against making any decisions without local self-governmental bodies’ involvement.

“They did not listen. I was afraid of it. That’s why I was raising the security issue so many times,” he stressed.

He said that the situation in Kapan is tense now and protests are being held in the town, adding that he has joined demonstrators too.