Khachatryan urges U.S. pressure on Azerbaijan over Armenian hostages

(Horizon Weekly / YEREVAN) – MP Artur Khachatryan of the opposition “Hayastan” (Armenia) alliance has cautioned that Armenia faces grave long-term dangers if it is pushed into taking sides amid mounting regional and global tensions, while calling on Yerevan to seek stronger U.S. involvement in securing the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly on Monday, Khachatryan said Armenian authorities should urge U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to press Azerbaijan to free Armenian hostages imprisoned in Baku, including former political and military leaders from Artsakh. Khachatryan expressed skepticism that the government would raise the issue, adding that the opposition intends to pursue it independently.

He said discussions with Washington should also address Armenia’s economic isolation, arguing that the TRIPP framework does not constitute meaningful unblocking. According to Khachatryan, Armenia’s foreign policy has traditionally rested on balance and complementarity, including the preservation of relations with Iran, even during periods of heightened confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

Khachatryan also cited remarks by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in 2021 regarding the possible deployment of various peacekeeping forces across the country. He warned that turning Armenia into a battleground for competing great-power interests could carry severe and irreversible consequences.