Deputy Chairman of Armenia’s ruling party: It is for Nagorno-Karabakh to decide to make territorial concessions or not

Deputy Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashotyan has qualified as speculation the criticism of Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Hermine Naghdalyan about the need to give some territories back to Azerbaijan.

“This may discourage the soldiers standing on the frontline,” Ashotyan said,

On Apr 26, Naghdalyan said that the Armenian side does not want to keep the five districts around Nagorno-Karabakh. “As soon as the world recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh, we will give back your lands or the lands we have no rights to. We don’t want these lands, this is just our buffer zone, a guarantee of our security,” she said.

Naghdalyan’s words caused a wave of protests in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Some political forces even demanded her resignation. Ashotyan has called this all an “artificial clamor.”

He said that foreign policy is not the prerogative of the parliament but he evaded the question if territorial concessions are on foreign political agenda now.

“The details of the talks are a secret. Diplomacy is not a reality show. As far as territorial concessions are concerned, President Sargsyan has repeatedly said that this is for Nagorno-Karabakh to decide. This is beyond Naghdalyan’s competence. So, those trying to make noise about her words are just unaware of global processes,” Ashotyan said.

In an interview last week Nagorno-Karabakh’s President Bako Sahakyan said that there will be no return to the past and this is also true for the territories. He urged those speculating on this matter to stop doing it as this all but helps Nagorno-Karabakh to solve its tasks.

Earlier Sargsyan admitted that in 2011 in Kazan he was ready to give back the five districts around Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for Nagorno-Karabakh’s recognition by Azerbaijan.