“The distance between the positions along the Nakhichevan border has been shortened, but not in such a way that it affects the Armenian side. The Armenian side has better positions and not only in one place,” Acting Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan told reporters regarding statements made by Azerbaijan that their military has “freed” territory around Nakhichevan. “I officially announce that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces has not “freed” any territory along the Nakhichevan border, as they say. I have convinced reporters of this through visiting the aforementioned locations with them. That was a shortening of the demilitarized zone (Nakhichevan does not have a line of demarcation with Armenia, which is why the area between the two sides is not a neutral zone, but a demilitarized zone) along the Nakhichevan border, where the Armenian Armed Forces has never carried out any operations of defense,” Davit Tonoyan assured.
“We have done several things to neutralize the area. We were able to carry out these activities successfully,” Davit Tonoyan said. Regarding the question of how much of a threat Azerbaijan poses to Armenian border villages, the acting Minister of Defense said that the commanding forces are carrying out works with the residents of those villages and is explaining that changes in the locations of positions should not be seen as a threat. “We have decreased the risks and have presented the problem to international colleagues.”
Then, Tonoyan wondered why Azerbaijani reporters are not interested in the safety of their residents and do not ask similar questions to their authorities.
Luiza Sukiasyan
