No big hopes of progress in Nagorno Karabakh settlement process: Armenia’s PM

Each variant of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement must be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated at a joint press conference with the German chancellor Angela Merkel today in Berlin.

“As you know I made a statement in Armenian parliament which I consider very important. I said that any variant of settlement of the Karabakh conflict must be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia, Karabakh and people of Azerbaijan. I hoped that such statement would be followed by the Azerbaijani side as well, but unfortunately, neither of Azerbaijani officials even in half voice states that the Karabakh conflict settlement must be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia and Karabakh,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

He stressed that the situation with this one statement clearly shows the situation in the negotiations.

“As far as equivalent statements are not being voiced from Azerbaijan, there are no big hopes of progress in the conflict settlement. Of course, the Republic of Armenia is committed to exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict. I want to register that I have clearly stated during our discussions that as a Prime Minister of Armenia I can negotiate only on behalf of the Republic of Armenia, and I cannot negotiate on behalf of Nagorno Karabakh with a simple reason that the people of Karabakh do not participate in elections in Armenia and consequently they have not elected me. They have their president, their parliament and government and only those elected by the people of Karabakh can negotiate on their behalf,” Pashinyan said.