Your trusted source

Armenia must either force Azerbaijan to pull back its troops from Armenia's sovereign territory or ask for military assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), MP Seyran Ohanyan, head of the opposition Hayastan faction, told reporters in the parliament on Friday.

According to him, decisions cannot be made without a full assessment of the situation.

"What does the “mirror withdrawal of troops” entail? Is it about the pullout from the entire border or from those sections where the enemy has advanced into?” the MP said, stressing Azerbaijan must unilaterally withdraw its troops from the invaded areas.

In his opinion, the Armenian foreign minister should clearly explain to the public that talks are underway with the leaders of the CSTO members, the military committee, as well as international organizations to make Azerbaijan retreat.

"And if it refuses to pull back, we will have to use the military component of the CSTO together with the Armenian armed forces," Ohanyan noted.

Separately, he said, the enemy states must become neighbors for the launch of a border delimitation and demarcation process, adding a commission must be set up to carry out the work.

“Can Azerbaijan be considered a neighboring state now with its aggressive rhetoric, provocations and local attacks on the border with Armenia, let alone Tukey’s involvement?” the MP said.

"Only after thorough discussions can it be decided where the border should run through, while in the current circumstances the so-called “mirror withdrawal” proposal makes no sense to me,” Ohanyan stated.