The Armenian parliament on Monday again refused to discuss an opposition-drafted statement on issues related to the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
The draft statement of the main opposition Hayastan (Armenia) faction was not put on the agenda of the plenary session, since pro-government lawmakers voted against it.
Presenting the document, Hayastan faction head Seyran Ohanyan stated the border situation “remains a concern for the Armenian people”, adding the discussion of the draft statement would have allowed them to be informed of the current situation.
“The series of defeats continue even after the 44-day war [in Artsakh in 2020] and it has a direct impact on the situation on our borders,’ Ohanyan said, stressing the need to outline the red lines for Armenia and Artsakh.
"Naturally, we are not saying that we do not seek peace and that the borders with our neighbors should not be delimited,” he noted, adding it is possible only if the conflicting parties become neighbors.
The opposition believes the hasty border delimitation process will deal a serious blow to the territorial integrity of Armenia, Artsakh’s sovereignty and the right of Artsakh people to self-determination.
In her turn, ruling Civil Contract faction MP Hripsime Grigoryan. a member of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, noted that the text of the statement uses negative formulations against the incumbent authorities, which may weaken Armenia's negotiating positions.
Lawmakers from the Civil Contract faction voted against debating the draft statement at the plenary session.