Narek Karapetyan: Today, both an Azerbaijani shepherd and a soldier can cross the Armenian border without hindrance, and this is a problem

ArmInfo. Today, both an Azerbaijani shepherd and an Azerbaijani soldier can cross the Armenian border unhindered, which speaks to the lack of adequate security measures at the state borders. Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia faction, stated this in an interview with journalists on October 23 during the election campaign in Stepanavan.

He clarified that he sees no serious problems with the Azerbaijani shepherd crossing the Armenian border. The problem, he said, lies elsewhere. "The shepherd crossed the border and was sent back—we see no problem here. As for the Azerbaijani soldier, he is, of course, a terrorist, and he should not be extradited. And that will not happen. We will do everything in our power to prevent this. As for the shepherd, I repeat: I see no problem here. "What's strange is that if a shepherd can cross our border, an Azerbaijani terrorist can do the same. So, after so many years, they still haven't been able to install border cameras, which are now all over Armenia. Or are they intended only for the opposition?" Karapetyan asked rhetorically.

According to him, this situation suggests that the head of Armenia's defense ministry should be a military figure who understands this area. "That's how a state is built – with professionals. Meanwhile, the current government can't find such specialists, which is why we find ourselves in this situation today. The fact is that no one wants to work with them," the faction leader concluded.

As a reminder, on October 21, Armenian media reported that an Azerbaijani shepherd crossed into Armenia with a white flag. It was noted that he had psychological problems. The incident occurred in the Tavush region. On October 22, the National Security Service of Armenia confirmed the crossing of an Azerbaijani shepherd into Armenian territory.

It should be added that in early October 2026, Nasimi Musayev, a serviceman of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, was detained in Armenia. On October 1, 2026, at approximately 2:15 PM, in the village of Shaki in the Syunik region, the serviceman entered a residential building, opened fire, and wounded a 38-year-old local resident in the leg, and also harmed her children. On the same day, Armenian law enforcement detained Nasimi Musayev. An Armenian court sentenced him to two months' pretrial detention. The Investigative Committee of Armenia has opened a criminal case. He is charged with illegal border crossing, smuggling and illegal arms trafficking, violating the inviolability of a home, and causing grievous bodily harm.