National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan said that where Azerbaijani troops have advanced into Armenian territory, they will retreat, and Armenian forces will withdraw from areas where they have moved forward. He noted that “there are many such areas,” and that this process will take place within the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation commission, which will operate from Georgia down to Iran.
Simonyan described his recent meeting with Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, as warm and constructive. “There was a brief moment when the issue of military aggression came up. She said, ‘How could that be possible after all the steps we’ve taken and international commitments we’ve made?’” he recalled.
The speaker emphasized that the issue of Armenian captives remains a constant topic in all diplomatic exchanges and public addresses.
He said both sides recognize the role of their parliaments in preparing the public for peace, rapprochement, and mutual steps. “We both agree that these steps should happen not in the distant future but as soon as possible, and on the largest scale possible,” Simonyan said.
On why Azerbaijan refers to the Armenia transit route as a “corridor,” Simonyan said he raised the issue with Gafarova. “She replied that the word ‘corridor’ isn’t problematic—they just want an economic corridor. As for ‘Zangezur,’ she said that’s the name of the region. But she also emphasized that Azerbaijan frequently uses the term TRIPP too. It’s just a matter of narrative framing,” he noted.
He welcomed Azerbaijan’s decision to allow the transit of Kazakh wheat to Armenia through its territory, calling it a real step toward peace. “This is one of the signs of established peace. I believe we’ll see many more such steps.”
Simonyan stressed that the peace process must be based on practical action and mutual commitment, and that achieving lasting peace requires understanding the opposing side’s narrative.
He explained that Azerbaijan’s official position is based on the belief that Armenia “occupied a significant portion of their territory for many years.”
“They fought wars, they lost people, just like we did. Their view is that we held over 20% of their territory for 30 years. We may disagree, we may say it’s false, but we need to understand that they have their own perception of what happened.”
According to that narrative, a broader international conflict was triggered during the Soviet collapse, leading to the occupation of Azerbaijani territory by Armenian forces with Russian support. “You can disagree with that, but to engage in dialogue, you must first understand what the other side believes,” Simonyan said.
He concluded by reaffirming Armenia’s support for diplomatic resolution and welcomed Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev’s recent announcement lifting all transit restrictions for cargo headed to Armenia.
