YEREVAN—Vahan Zakyan, the administrative head of the Khoznavar community in Armenia’s Syunik province, hasconfirmed reports of gunfire heard in the area last night.
Zakyan told reporters that Azerbaijani military positions are located near the village, making such gunfire audible. However, he said that the shots were not directed at the village. “It is a known fact that Azerbaijan is celebrating Novruz, and during this period, they sometimes fire in the evenings. These shots are not aimed at the village,” said Zakyan.
The administrative head emphasized that gunfire from Azerbaijani forces has been a recurring issue in the region. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan hasrefrained from confirming or denying reports of Azerbaijani gunshots heard in Sotk, declining to respond to journalists’ questions.
These incidents follow a recent wave of reports from residents along the Armenian border in Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan continues to disseminate misinformation claiming that Armenian forces have opened fire on their positions—an assertion Armenia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has repeatedly denied. This growing tension has raised suspicions that Azerbaijan may be preparing for an escalation.
Armenia’s MoD hasdownplayed the situation, stating that the Armenian military could not possibly open fire on Azerbaijani positions. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has been pursuing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, continues to implore Azerbaijan to sign the treaty, which he believes will ensure lasting peace and security for Armenia.
On March 25, Armenia’s MoD issued a statement describing Azerbaijani gunfire as “sporadic” and asserting that it does not target Armenian positions or civilian areas.
“Considering the various reports and videos circulating online, the Ministry of Defense confirms that there are occasional gunshots along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. These shots do not target the territory of Armenia. In such cases, the Ministry does not issue statements regarding ceasefire violations,” the statementread.
Such weak responses from Armenia’s leadership appear to have emboldened Azerbaijan. The recent gunfire incidents suggest that Azerbaijan may be exploiting Armenia’s restrained stance to provoke fear among the population, reinforcing concerns that a more aggressive response is required to address the escalating situation.
Meanwhile, PM Pashinyan hasinstructed the Ministry of Defense to refrain from violating the ceasefire regime, writing on his Facebook page on March 19, “Armenia is heading for peace, not war.” Armenia’s MoD has reiterated PM Pashinyan’s proposal for a joint Armenia-Azerbaijan mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations, yet Azerbaijan has not responded.
Despite the escalation on the border, Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonyan hasinsisted that discussions on a peace agreement with Azerbaijan are not at an impasse. On March 25, he told journalists that Armenia’s proposal to sign the agreement as soon as possible may have come as a surprise to the Azerbaijani side.
In the past, Azerbaijan has used negotiation tactics that set terms it knew Armenia would reject, said Simonyan. “The goal of negotiating this agreement was to reach a result, not to engage in endless discussions,” he continued.
Responding to opposition criticism that the government’s approach could be seen as capitulation, Simonyan dismissed such claims as unserious, arguing that opposition groups have not been given an opportunity to review the text of the agreement.
“Has the opposition even seen the text of the peace agreement to make such claims? How can it be one-sided when all the provisions involve both parties?” Simonyan asked, contradicting previous statements from government officials that the treaty’s 17 points have been disclosed to the opposition and the public.
During an official visit to Brazil, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addressed the ongoing negotiations in an exclusiveinterview withCorreio Braziliense.
When asked about the terms and timeline for signing the treaty, FM Mirzoyan clarified that while the draft agreement has been completed, it is not yet finalized. “The term ‘peace agreement’ sounds promising, but in reality, we have only succeeded in finalizing the draft, which includes a preamble and 17 articles. After extensive negotiations, we reached agreement on the text,” he explained.
Armenia has publicly expressed its readiness to begin consultations with Azerbaijan to determine the place and date for signing the agreement. However, Mirzoyan noted that Azerbaijan has introduced additional preconditions, including proposed amendments to Armenia’s Constitution and limitations on the supply of arms and ammunition to the country.
“What we are hearing from the Azerbaijani side is that they agree with the text, but this is not sufficient for a peace agreement. They are insisting that a number of preconditions be discussed before the signing becomes possible,” he said.
In a public broadcast on March 21, PM Pashinyanaddressed Azerbaijan’s preconditions. “We will propose to our people a new constitution, and we plan to hold the referendum in 2027,” he said. “However, we do not rule out the possibility of conducting it alongside the parliamentary elections in 2026.”
Pashinyan also responded to opposition criticisms that Armenia has made significant concessions. “What have we given to Azerbaijan? Our government has not made any one-sided compromises,” he argued.
ARF Supreme Council representative and MP Ishkhan Saghatelyancountered Pashinyan’s claims in a Facebook post on March 23, outlining various concessions made to Azerbaijan over the past five years.
Saghatelyan pointed to Armenia’s withdrawal from strategic positions in Syunik in 2020; Azerbaijani incursions into Armenian territory in 2021 and 2022; the loss of Berdzor, Aghavno and Sus; and Azerbaijan’s occupation of over 220 square kilometers of Armenian land. He criticized Pashinyan for recognizing Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan in 2023 and for failing to secure the return of Armenian captives in 2024.
He also warned that Azerbaijan’s demands continue to escalate, including proposed constitutional changes in Armenia and the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. In March 2025, Azerbaijan announced that Armenia had agreed to withdraw from international legal proceedings and cease the deployment of third-party monitors along the border—major concessions in Azerbaijan’s favor.
As negotiations continue, critics, including Saghatelyan, argue that these moves erode Armenia’s sovereignty and undermine the nation’s long-term security. “The demands of Azerbaijan are far from over,” Saghatelyan warned. “They are seeking constitutional changes, a ‘corridor’ through Armenia and the resettlement of Azerbaijanis within Armenian territory, which poses a serious threat to Armenia’s sovereignty.”
Hoory Minoyan
Hoory Minoyan was an active member of the Armenian community in Los Angeles until she moved to Armenia prior to the 44-day war. She graduated with a master's in International Affairs from Boston University, where she was also the recipient of the William R. Keylor Travel Grant. The research and interviews she conducted while in Armenia later became the foundation of her Master’s thesis, “Shaping Identity Through Conflict: The Armenian Experience.” Hoory continues to follow her passion for research and writing by contributing to the Armenian Weekly.
Hoory Minoyan