YEREVAN (Mediamax) — US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, who is completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia, said that the settlement of NK issue will require the return of “some portion of the occupied territories.”
In an interview with EVN Report published on October 16, Mills said that the Armenian people will have to decide for themselves what they are prepared for.
He noted he has been struck by how little discussion there was about what would have been or is an acceptable solution and compromise in Armenia.
“What I did hear was a little disturbing because it appeared to be a step back from where we were. I was surprised when I first got here and found out that most Armenians I met were adamantly opposed to the return of the occupied territories as part of a negotiation settlement. It has long been my government’s understanding of why the occupied territories were originally seized; they would be land for a peace option. So I was very surprised that there was no support for that anymore,” Mills said.
He noted that he understands how events like the 2016 April War make this even more difficult for the Armenian people, but “the harsh reality is that any settlement is going to require the return of some portion of the occupied territories.”
