Alen Simonyan: "Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan - why do you say  Artsakh?"

ArmInfo.  Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, stated that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and expressed surprised that many people use the name "Artsakh."

"Why do you use the word "Artsakh"? I'm just curious. Then why are  you offended when some territories of Armenia are called by  Azerbaijani names? For example, Sevan is called by a different name,"  the NA Speaker said, while speaking to journalists during a  parliamentary briefing on March 24.

"Because you are all politicized and busy making expansionist  demands. Don't be offended if someone in some country calls "Yerevan"  "Erivan" and Sevan by another name. Don't make a big deal out of it,"  Simonyan added.

In response to the remark that the comparison was inappropriate since  Sevan is Armenian, the parliament speaker said: "And Karabakh belongs  to Azerbaijan."

When it was pointed out that Simonyan himself had previously said  Artsakh, he replied: "I was wrong." The NA speaker urged for a shift  in mindset