Armenian opposition lawmaker Artur Khachatryan from the Hayastan faction said lasting peace cannot be achieved, while Azerbaijani forces remain on Armenia’s territory, calling the current situation a ceasefire at best.

He made the remarks during a session of the EU–Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee at the Council of Europe, reports «Aysor.am».

“There can be no peace when Azerbaijani occupation forces are on Armenia’s territory; at best, we have a ceasefire.

And for the ceasefire to turn into real peace, we must make efforts, compel Azerbaijan to end its aggressive policy and protect Armenia’s interests,” he said.

He also criticized the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “policy of diminishing” the Declaration of Independence and the referendum.

“According to Pashinyan, Armenia gained independence not because it adopted the Declaration of Independence, nor because the entire population went to polling stations and voted for independence, but when Armenia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States by signing the Alma-Ata Declaration and ratifying the Belovezha Protocol. In other words, without the Commonwealth of Independent States, Armenia would not have had independence,” he said.

Khachatryan also addressed the TRIPP project.

“In fact, I have shown with maps that under current conditions Armenia’s blockade cannot be broken. It is necessary for Armenia to have railway connections both via the eastern route — meaning the Ijevan–Gazakh railway should operate — and for the Armenia–Turkey connection to be opened,” he said.

The opposition MP also spoke at the Council of Europe about the right of return for people from Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The Council of Europe has numerous resolutions requiring the implementation of the right of return. Today, Nikol Pashinyan is trying to prevent people from returning to their homeland, and unfortunately we see political echoes of this even in the European Parliament. Pashinyan will change, and both European and American policies will change — they cannot be expected to be more pro-Armenian than Armenia’s own authorities,” he stated.

On September 13–14, 2022, Azerbaijan launched attacks in five directions on Armenia’s sovereign territory — two in Syunik, two in Gegharkunik, and one in Vayots Dzor. Chief of the General Staff Eduard Asryan stated that Azerbaijani forces are present on approximately 139 square kilometers of Armenia’s sovereign territory.