Life in the village of Aghavno in Artsakh’s Kashatagh continues as usual despite the threats of deportation.
At an online press conference on Monday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the territories outside of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region will fall under Azerbaijani control after the road bypassing Berdzor becomes operational. He essentially confirmed that several villages in Berdzor, including Aghavno and Sus, will be ultimately handed over to Azerbaijan.
“I think the problems of the residents of Aghavno will be solved with the help of the Artsakh government. I cannot say anything about Sus, because I do not have that information at the moment,” he said.
Andranik Chaushyan, the mayor of Aghavno, said that they have no intention of leaving their homes under any circumstances. Also, he accused Pashinyan of ignoring the wishes of the local residents.
"He cannot make such a statement without discussing it with the residents. Has he sat down to discuss the surrender of Aghavno, Sus and Berdzor with anyone?” the mayor told Panorama.am on Tuesday.
He insisted that they are staying put regardless of any political agreements and no one can remove them from their homes.
“Why do we have to leave all the time? We have nowhere to go and are not going to leave. We want to stay and live here, if that requires our blood to be spilled on this land, we are ready for it," Chaushyan said.
Aghavno is now home to 200 people. The village has a school and a kindergarten.
"Now the children are taking exams. We are preparing for the celebration of Vardavar [a Christian holiday]. We don't take these statements and wishes for granted. We are like one family and always discuss problems and concerns together,” the village head said.