Opposition MP: Handover of Sanasar and Kovsakan to Azerbaijan didn’t stem from trilateral statement

Panorama, Armenia
Oct 29 2021

The handover of the districts of Sanasar and Kovsakan to Azerbaijan did not stem from the November 9 trilateral statement of Yerevan, Moscow and Baku, opposition With Honor faction MP and security expert Tigran Abrahamyan told a briefing in the Armenian parliament on Friday.

He underlined that the November 9 document clearly stated that the parties were to stop in their “current positions” and stipulated the surrender of only three districts – Akna, Kashatagh and Karvachar – to Azerbaijan.

"If the administrative-territorial division in the Soviet period is taken as a basis, at the time three different districts were part of Kashatagh: Lachin, Kubatulu and Zangelan. Even if we follow this logic, it's obvious that parts of those two districts which were under our control were not subject to surrender, otherwise it does not fit into the logic of the November 9 statement," Abrahamyan stressed.

The lawmaker called attention to the fact that there were no talks on the details of the Goris-Kapan road when those territories were ceded to Azerbaijan.

"No one took into account the problems that may arise after the handover of those territories. As for the statements that if they had not been surrendered, a war would have erupted, Azerbaijan likewise may demand the handover of Vardenis, Goris, Kapan or Meghri. Should the Armenian authorities follow the same principle and hand over those districts, citing the risk of renewed war?” Abrahamyan said.

The oppositionist stressed there will be no chance of success if the authorities stick to this principle.