On November 16, in light of the events taking place on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, a meeting of the RA Security Council took place for the second consecutive day, during which the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, delivered the opening remarks.
At the Tuesday, November 17 session, Pashinyan said, in particular: “Today, around 13:00, units of Azerbaijan’s armed forces launched an attack in the direction of Armenia’s eastern border line. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia took actions to counter the adversary.
Significant damage was inflicted on the adversary’s manpower, and at least 6 units of armoured vehicles were destroyed. We have casualties on our side, regarding whom updated information will be provided.
Only one assessment can be given to what is taking place: this is a direct attack on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. As a result of the offensive operations launched on May 12, Azerbaijan has seized approximately 41 square kilometres of Armenia’s sovereign territory. Amid the silence of our partners in the international community, Azerbaijan continues its offensive operations. My assessment is unequivocal: Azerbaijan and the forces encouraging it are targeting our sovereignty, our statehood, our independence.
Yes, we have had a difficult day today, we are living through difficult times, but today we have also shown that we are here, we exist, we are a state, we are a state nation, and the language of coercion is unacceptable to us. We can negotiate, we can seek and find mutually acceptable solutions, we conduct ourselves as a responsible member of the international community, but we will not allow anyone to speak to us in the language of arrogance.
I call on the international community to adopt targeted statements condemning Azerbaijan’s aggression.
Talk of border disputes is absurd and meaningless. There is no border dispute; there is an attack on the sovereign territory of Armenia. The borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are clear, under legally binding agreements adopted back in the times of the Soviet Union.
If the issue were a border dispute, Azerbaijan would long ago have accepted our proposal to mirror-withdraw troops from the border line of Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan, to deploy international observers along the border line, and to begin the delimitation and demarcation of borders. Azerbaijan, which does not accept that proposal, is an aggressor state and must unequivocally withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Hopes of imposing its own will on Armenia are futile.
The Government and the people of the Republic of Armenia are determined, and we shall defend our sovereignty, territorial integrity, statehood and independence by all possible means.
At the same time, we continue to emphasise the necessity of a peaceful resolution of the situation that has arisen, and all the proposals we have previously made remain in force. We remain committed to the provisions of the November 9 and January 11 trilateral statements.
Returning to the border situation, I will say that at this moment the border is relatively calm, but the overall situation continues to remain extremely tense. We will continuously provide updated information to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia.”
