On 24 September, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that work was underway in Syunik to determine border positions, adding that the process might result in painful situations.

According to Pashinyan, the authorities, including the Ministry of Defence, believe that although this process may become a reason for various comments, the fact is that a new system of guaranteeing the security of Syunik and Armenia is currently being built. “There are two settlements where certain questions may arise - the settlement of Vorotan and the village of Shurnukh. I want to assure that in all cases, if certain questions arise in the context of the interests of our citizens, the government will unequivocally come forward with full compensations, and the interests of our citizens will be fully protected. Not a single millimetre can be ceded from the internationally recognised territory of Armenia. On the other hand, this does not mean that these processes should be considered as demarcation and delimitation of state borders; these are completely different issues,” Pashinyan said.

Reports have already emerged from the Vorotan and Shurnukh communities that the handing over of territories to Azerbaijan’s effective control is taking place. “The territories, residential houses, buildings of our administrative territory we give to Azerbaijan, they appear in their territory. I have been working for more than 20 years and I know that it is our administrative territory, but they (Russia) have given it to them,” said the Head of Vorotan community Surik Ohanjanyan. Earlier it was reported that part of Shurnukh village, with 11 houses, was passed to Azerbaijan as well. 

Meanwhile, the mass opposition protests in the country are still ongoing. The prime minister candidate of the Homeland Salvation Movement Vazgen Manukyan stated that Pashinyan has destroyed the country and that he should be in prison. “If Armenia wants to go in a civilized way—that is, not to destroy the state— then the people must participate here,” he said. In response to a reporter’s remark that Pashinyan does not want to resign because there are some who do not want him to step down, Vazgen Manukyan stated that in every country there are people who support the government. According to Manukyan, the people in Armenia are depressed and the current phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue needs to be resolved quickly by thinking about the future. It was also reported that the Armenian police detained 69 persons during the protests on 24 December, as the participants of the demonstration had blocked the entrances of the main government building.