Armenia's Chief of General Staff defiant on land surrender

Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, addressed concerns regarding the potential surrender of four villages in the Tavush (Tovuzgala) region.

According to Caliber.Az, citing Armenian media, Asryan responded to inquiries about the authorities' stance on relinquishing territory, stating, "Who said? I lead the armed forces, and the armed forces carry out the tasks assigned to them. War can happen in an hour, in two hours, in three hours, in a year, in two years, in 5 years. We don’t give up land."

Asryan refrained from commenting further, notably declining to respond to whether he would comply with orders to surrender territories if issued.

To recap, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev of Azerbaijan stated on March 9 demanding the swift return of four villages currently under Armenian occupation. Mustafayev's office clarified that the state commissions of Azerbaijan and Armenia convened for the seventh time to discuss the delimitation of mutual borders as part of ongoing peace treaty negotiations.

The statement refuted reports alleging that Azerbaijan had occupied 31 Armenian villages, deeming such claims "false." It emphasized that until borders are officially delineated, it is baseless to assert that Azerbaijan has occupied Armenian territories.

Specifically, the statement identified four villages—Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhacili—as unquestionably belonging to Azerbaijan and urged their immediate return.

Regarding the four exclave villages—Upper Eskipara, Sofulu, Berkhudarli, and Kerki—the statement asserted that their status would be addressed within the framework of the border determination process.