Whether he wants to or not, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is calling the shots in Azerbaijan. This is what Deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Mikayel Zolyan said during an April 1 press conference.

“Nikol Pashinyan goes out, takes a walk and takes selfies on 8 March, after which Aliyev also goes out, takes a walk and takes selfies with his wife,” he stated.

The MP believes Armenia shouldn’t underestimate itself. “The events that took place last year were very important, at least in the post-Soviet territory, and they also changed a lot of things in Azerbaijani society, which is following Armenia,” he said, adding that it has become harder for Azerbaijan to make provocations on the border.

He says some of the reasons for the tranquility on the state border are the Armenian army’s willingness and the weight of the Republic of Armenia in the international arena, as well as the existence of a real agenda in the negotiations.

According to Zolyan, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan’s statement should not be viewed as a belligerent statement. “This is a statement that will help prevent war since it sends a clear message to the parties.”

When commenting on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during a meeting with the Armenian community of New York, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia Davit Tonoyan declared that the “territories for peace” format is changing.

“As the Minister of Defense, I declare that I have transformed the “territories for peace” format into “new war for new territories”,” the minister said.