During a session of the Armenian National Assembly on October 22, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan reaffirmed that Nagorno-Karabakh remains an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan. 

In response to an inquiry from opposition MP Gegham Manukyan regarding Simonyan's reference to UN Security Council resolutions, which Manukyan claimed did not provide legal grounds for Azerbaijan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, Simonyan shifted focus, highlighting that the political force to which Manukyan belongs, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, has historically not recognized Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. He argued that the ARF's previous voting patterns effectively recognized the territory as part of Azerbaijan.

Manukyan countered that the UNSC resolutions aimed to establish a ceasefire rather than legitimize Azerbaijani actions. Simonyan urged the need to view his remarks in context, asserting, "The fact remains that this territory was and remains the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan."

Further discussions involved accusations from the opposition that Simonyan was justifying his actions by manipulating other political forces. In a heated exchange, Artsvik Minayan, another opposition member, criticized Simonyan for his perceived treachery, asserting that there are no legal grounds for the Armenian draft administrative-territorial division to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

The parliamentary opposition subsequently announced a boycott of the discussion and voting process related to the ratification of the border security regulations. MP Armen Rustamyan claimed the draft was unconstitutional and detrimental to Armenia's national interests, citing a lack of satisfactory responses to their concerns during prior discussions.

In defense, Simonyan accused the opposition of undermining Armenia's internationally recognized borders and statehood, which he argued have existed since Armenia's UN membership. He also expressed concerns about Azerbaijan’s willingness to ratify the border security regulations, indicating that without Baku's approval, the agreement would lack legal force. "There is no risk, as the document will not have legal force until we exchange it," he stated.

On a separate note, Simonyan commented on Armenia's potential participation in the COP29 conference in Baku, emphasizing the need for thorough discussion before making a decision. He asserted that the invitation to the event is a UN initiative and not exclusive to Azerbaijan. Reflecting on Armenia's previous support for the conference's location, he noted that it was a strategic decision that resulted in the return of over 30 prisoners. 

In a separate discussion, Simonyan addressed concerns regarding Armenia signing a peace treaty only after the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from occupied territories. He remarked, "Until there is no demarcation - nothing is clear," indicating that the situation may be more favorable than previously claimed by the opposition. He insisted on discussing territorial issues in detail, mentioning specific locations like Jermuk.

Simonyan also addressed comments made by opposition MP Gegham Manukyan regarding the legitimacy of Azerbaijan's military actions, asserting, "No war can have legitimate grounds; the war itself is illegal." He argued that even the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is termed a "special military operation," emphasizing that Azerbaijan's actions, conducted on its internationally recognized territory, do not grant legitimacy to aggression against Armenia.