Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated at the government session on 16 March that the Russian Federation’s deployment of a peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh was justified by the need to avoid mass casualties among the civilian population and damage to civilian infrastructure in Karabakh.
“We hope that the Russian Federation will fully carry out the aforementioned function, but if our ally and friend Russia, for any objective reason, is unable to fulfil that role, it should itself appeal to the UN Security Council, raising the alarm about the danger of mass killings of the civilian population, and initiate the activation of additional international mechanisms in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor. Moreover, I have no preconceptions regarding the activities of the Russian peacekeeping force, but the series of events of the last two years is concerning,” said Pashinyan.
At the same time, Pashinyan emphasised the fact that if the humanitarian crisis in Karabakh has not turned into a humanitarian catastrophe, it is the result of the efforts of the peacekeeping force.
As for the peace treaty, Pashinyan reported that Armenia has received Azerbaijan’s proposals regarding the draft treaty, thereby entering the 4th round of negotiations on the peace treaty: “We will not deviate from the peace agenda,” he said, reminding that Azerbaijan continues to hold a part of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia under occupation and does not return the prisoners.
