On March 18, 2024 Nikol Pashinyan made a visit to the border villages of the Tavush province, which have recently captured public attention in Armenia due to Azerbaijan’s territorial claims and Pashinyan’s discussions on a potential “exchange of enclaves.”
Nikol Pashinyan is currently meeting with residents of Voskepar, Baghanis and nearby villages in the Tavush province.
On March 9th, Azerbaijan issued an ultimatum demanding the "liberation" of four "enclave" villages. pic.twitter.com/EHfAaKUzRy
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) March 18, 2024
According to our local sources, Pashinyan’s reception by the villagers was less than welcoming; they didn’t even rise from their seats when he entered the hall. The villagers raised concerns about the risk of ethnic cleansing in their communities, drawing parallels to the events in Artsakh. However, Pashinyan avoided directly addressing these concerns. After persistent questioning on this issue, the villagers expressed their determination to organize themselves and prepare for defending their villages.
They urged Pashinyan to ensure that the southern riverside of the Aghstev River would remain under Armenian control, but Pashinyan admitted to being unfamiliar with the geography of the area when responding to this request.
The villagers of Voskepar and Baghanis are ready to block the roads. Former Chief of Staff of the 2nd Army Corps -Deputy Commander of the Corps, Colonel Mihran Maksudyan is ready to organize and take measures of self-defense. He is captured in the video speaking to the villagers about their plan for the upcoming few days.
Today, Nikol Pashinyan made a visit to the border villages of the Tavush province, which have recently captured public attention in Armenia due to Azerbaijan's territorial claims and Pashinyan's discussions on a potential "exchange of enclaves."
According to our local sources,… pic.twitter.com/XRJeHqMUK7
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) March 18, 2024
Following the meeting with the residents of Voskepar and the surrounding villages, Pashinyan traveled to Kirants to meet with the villagers there.
