Diplomat: We should never forget that having liberated Lachin and  Shushi, we lost Shahumyan and Martakert

ArmInfo.During the July clashes on the northern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the units of the Armenian Armed Forces surpassed those of the enemy in every sense. Former NKR Foreign Minister, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Arman Melikyan expressed a similar opinion to  ArmInfo.

"According to many experts in military affairs, the real level of  combat capability of the Armed Forces is tested in real battles, and  the victories and gains achieved are in no way a guarantee of  continued victories in the future. In this light, without belittling  the enormous political, military, moral and psychological  significance of the July events , we must not forget that once,  having liberated Lachin and Shushi, we lost Shahumyan and Martakert.  This will allow us to avoid the relaxing effect of complacency, "he  stressed.

The clashes initiated by the Azerbaijani army on July 12 on the  Tavush section of the border with Armenia have led to the loss of  more than 20 people killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces, three  tanks, the destruction and capture of 13 drones, and the capture of a  combat position of the Azerbaijani armed forces.  Losses of the Armed  Forces of Armenia amounted to 5 people.

In this light, according to Melikyan's estimates, regardless of  everything, the Armenian army should not relax its vigilance in any  of the sections of the border and the line of contact with  Azerbaijan. According to him, in the light of decades of the  irreplaceable position of official Baku, according to which Armenia  occupied the territories of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani logic considers  only one option of the settlement - the leadership of Armenia must  withdraw the Armenian military from the territory of Azerbaijan.  After that, eternal peace and friendship will reign between the two  peoples.

Accordingly, until this eternal peace is achieved, Baku, according to  the diplomat, reserves the right to force Yerevan to withdraw the  military by force. Such a political approach, in his opinion, does  not provide for any differences in the choice of specific targets for  military strikes. Azerbaijan is waging a permanent war both on the  "occupied" territory - Artsakh, and on the territory of the Republic  of Armenia.

"This very specific political line, as we see, has its military  manifestation. Accordingly, Armenia and Artsakh need to oppose this  line of Baku with such a system of political and legal approaches  that will pacify Azerbaijani urges for aggression not only on  political and diplomatic platforms, but also on the battlefield. I am  convinced that we have this opportunity, "the diplomat concluded.