YEREVAN. – Armenia’s National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov reacted to Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement made Monday in Baku, during his joint news conference held with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.   

Specifically, Mammadyarov had said: “If the Armenian armed forces are removed from the occupied territories, there will not be the problem of either snipers or armed incidents.”   

And in response to this statement, NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov specifically stated:

“Mr. Mammadyarov continually distorts the reality. And the reality is as follows: As long as Azerbaijan continues to occupy Nagorno-Karabakh [NK] Republic’s certain regions (Getashen, Martunashen, Shahumyan) and regularly opens fire—by way of snipers—in the direction of peaceful civilians—including a kindergarten—, the Azerbaijani side bears the whole responsibility for the absence of a serious progress in the NK peace process.         

Therefore there is no need to look for a cat in a dark room when that cat is [sitting] on your [own] shoulders.”