Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called for international mechanisms and international guarantees for dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku. He said that Armenia will not allow Azerbaijan to commit ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh.
‘Armenia won’t give Azerbaijan mandate to commit ethnic cleansing or genocide in Nagorno Karabakh’ - Pashinyan
STEPANAKERT, MARCH 14 , ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Pashinyan made the remarks at a press conference when asked whether or not he’d want the Nagorno Karabakh authorities to accept Azerbaijan’s invitation for talks in Baku.
PM Pashinyan noted that Azerbaijan quickly changed the issues of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh into a narrative about integration. “Our objective is for a discussion to take place. There’s an issue of guarantee here as well. Assume they leave for Baku, will they return or not? Who’s going to answer this question?”
He again stressed that the representatives of the people of Nagorno Karabakh should be the ones to talk with Azerbaijan.
“It is our perception that an international mechanism guaranteeing the continuity of that conversation must exist. We aren’t going to give Azerbaijan a mandate to commit ethnic cleansing or genocide in Nagorno Karabakh. We won’t give mandate, that’s obvious,” Pashinyan added.
The Armenian Premier noted the ongoing major international reaction over the closure of Lachin Corridor, which means that the international community sees the danger and feels its responsibility around the situation.
“We are saying that there should be an international mechanism that would ensure the continuity of that conversation. We have our perception around this, we’ve made several proposals. We’ve described at least two or three such mechanisms and we will continue to work in this direction,” Pashinyan said.
PM Pashinyan added that the international fact-finding mission which Armenia is calling for to be deployed in Nagorno Karabakh and Lachin Corridor could be part of that international guarantee or mechanism.
