Armenia’s PM urges Azerbaijani counterpart Aliyev create favorable conditions for progress in Karabakh conflict peace talks

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is of key significance for stability and security in our region, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in his speech at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He reaffirmed his position that any settlement of the conflict must be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

“It is remarkable that I was the first Armenian leader who voiced such position over the settlement of the conflict. I was strictly criticized in my country for such formula of conflict settlement which puts equalization mark among the three conflicting parties,” he stated, adding that he believes that it is the key to the peaceful settlement of the conflict as it supposes mutual concessions, respect and balance.

“I have presented this formula not only to the people but in the sidelines of negotiations under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group. To register a progress I expected suchlike statement from the Azerbaijani side as well. Nevertheless, Azerbaijani political elite kept their position unchanged seeking solution acceptable only for the people of Azerbaijan,” the head of the Armenian government stated, adding that it means the Azerbaijani side does not have any intention to settle the conflict.

“Instead they want to win the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, they do not want to make any concessions. They want revenge for the unsuccessful attempts of aggression against Nagorno Karabakh people in 1990 and 2016. This is the reason why they provoke anti-Armenian moods among their people, spend huge resources on the ammunition and this is why the Armenophobia has become the official policy of Azerbaijan,” Armenia’s PM stated addressing the present.

Pashinyan also stressed that the Azerbaijani government presents the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We do not agree with such interpretation of the conflict. It is not a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is not about territorial demands but people, men, women and their right to live in their homeland the way their ancestors did throughout the centuries. Unfortunately, Azerbaijani authorities do not want to speak with these people and negotiate with them as they just want to have territories and not people, more right to say they want these territories without the people,” Armenia’s PM stressed.

Pashinyan urged Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev to accept the proposed formula, create conditions for progress in the peace process.

“Any solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be acceptable for the people of Armenia, people of Nagorno Karabakh and people of Azerbaijan. We must work together to bring this formula into life,” Pashinyan stated.