YEREVAN. – In 2018, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs repeatedly called for not changing the format of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) talks, but these calls were later ignored by Armenia’s authorities. Artur Khachatryan, an MP of the opposition "Armenia" Faction, on Wednesday stated about this in the National Assembly.

He added that the Armenian government's program for 2019 stated that the format of these talks should be changed.

"They [i.e., the Armenian authorities] were stating that Armenia is fighting not only against Azerbaijan, but also against Turkey and mercenaries [in the Artsakh war last fall]. In 1993, [then Turkish President Turgut] Ozal wanted to send troops to Armenia, but then Armenian diplomacy prevented it, but today it does not exist," Khachatryan said.

According to him, it is difficult to expect success when the number of personnel diplomats of Armenia is being reduced and high-ranking diplomats are appointed for political reasons, moreover, these people have very modest experience in this field.

"If the [Armenian] authorities think that the borders of the state are determined by the Law on Administrative Territorial Division, then why did they not change it? They had three years to do that. I also want to ask: Will anything be found out about the role of the commander-in-chief [i.e., the PM] in the concept of army reforms [in Armenia]?" the opposition MP concluded.