During a conversation with reporters at Liberty Square in Yerevan today, candidate of the Armenian opposition Homeland Salvation Movement for Prime Minister Vazgen Manukyan said Azerbaijan had been preparing for the war for over 20 years, adding that Azerbaijan was afraid of its adversary since it had been defeated.

“Azerbaijan purchased a tremendous amount of arms and weaponry and tried to advance in 2016. The advancement was rather successful for two days, but then Azerbaijan faced resistance and started retreating in certain parts, and this is why the country wanted to stop the war, considering the advancement a failed attempt. After that, Armenia had advantages during the negotiations, including the agreements reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg,” he said, adding that Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan lied when he said that the war in April 2016 was stopped because Serzh Sargsyan had promised Azerbaijan something.