Political scientist: If Zangazur corridor is not opened, Azerbaijan must close Lachin corridor

"What Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the press conference was both aimed at the domestic audience and was a message to Moscow. But there is no logic in his thoughts," Political scientist Elkhan Shahinoglu, head of the Atlas Research Center, told Report.

The expert stressed that the views expressed by Pashinyan at a press conference yesterday were not realistic:

"According to him, a peace agreement will be signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia but it won't apply to Karabakh. It is simply not possible. Because the signing of a peace treaty means that countries recognize each other's territorial integrity. In my opinion, a commission will be set up to determine the borders at a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Sochi on November 26."

Referring to Pashinyan's claims that official Baku is pursuing an aggressive policy against Yerevan and Azerbaijan is allegedly occupying the territory of Armenia, the political scientist said that Armenian politicians are accustomed to the realities of the invasion and can not accept the current situation:

"Not only Pashinyan but also other political leaders have long been accustomed to the absence of borders. They actually annexed Karabakh and thought it would stay like this. But we have already ensured our territorial integrity. Of course, it is difficult for Armenia. We must do our job and increase our control over strategic heights. But this does not mean that we do not want a dialogue, on the contrary, we must expand the dialogue with Armenia. Now the main issue is the opening of the Zangazur corridor and the signing of a peace agreement. If Russia's pressure on Armenia increases, this process may take place. Russian officials have so far raised the matter of setting up a commission. If no agreement is reached on the opening of the Zangazur corridor, we must take adequate steps and close the Lachin corridor."

At the press conference, Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of pursuing an aggressive policy towards Armenia or a jungle policy. In fact, this is another example of Armenian arrogance. Yerevan wants to cover up Armenia's 30-year-old policy of aggression against Azerbaijan. But they will not be able to do that, just like they did not succeed during the occupation. Even today, elements of the Armenian armed forces remain in the territories of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed. The villages of the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan and the village of Karki in Nakhchivan are under Armenian occupation.

The document, issued and approved by the Pashinyan government, once again confirmed Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan. In his speech, the PM again called Karabakh "Artsakh" and said that this region of Azerbaijan has the status of self-determination. All these are clear examples of Armenia's aggressive policy against Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan himself admitted that there were many maps and even called them pictorial paper. He confirmed Azerbaijan's position that there is no unit map of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, especially in the direction of Zangilan, Gubadli, Lachin, and Kalbajar. So on what grounds does Armenia claim that Azerbaijani troops are on Armenian territory? The area where the Azerbaijani armed forces are stationed in East Zangazur is considered the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan.