ArmInfo. The peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is key to ensuring the stability and security of our region. Speaking at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this.
According to him, from the very first day in office as prime minister, steps have been taken in this context. "I made a statement that any settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. It is noteworthy that I was the first Armenian leader who expressed such a position on the settlement of the conflict. I was strongly criticized in my country for this formulation, which equates the three sides of the conflict. Nevertheless, I believe that this is the key to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, since it involves an opportunity for compromise, mutual respect and a balance of interests " Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that he introduced this formulation not only to the public, but also within the framework of the negotiations held under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. I expected a similar approach from Azerbaijan, which would allow us to move the process forward. However, the top leadership of Azerbaijan remained at their previous positions in search of a solution to the Karabakh problem that would be acceptable only to the people of Azerbaijan. What does this mean in practice? This means that the Azerbaijani authorities do not want to resolve the conflict. In fact, they want to win the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. They are not willing to make any compromises. Their goal is to avenge a failed attempt at aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s and 2016. That's why they incite anti-Armenian sentiment among their people, therefore they spend huge resources on weapons, and that's why anti-Armenianism has already become the official policy of Azerbaijan, " Nikol Pashinyan stated.
In fact, the head of the Armenian government continued, our opponents want to regain Nagorno-Karabakh with the status of Soviet times. But this is a futile attempt, since the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in the Soviet Union proclaimed their independence and carried out self-determination in the same way as Azerbaijan, which curled about its secession from the Soviet Union. "The Azerbaijani government presents the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We do not agree with this interpretation of the conflict. This is not a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This dispute is not about territorial claims. It is about men and women and their right to live on the homeland, as well as their ancestors lived on this territory for centuries. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani authorities do not want to talk with these people and negotiate with them because they need territories, not people. More precisely, areas without people, " Nikol Pashinyan concluded.
He also noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a very difficult and painful problem for the people of the region who cannot be resolved without serious and consistent work, without compromise, mutual respect and a balanced approach. "Therefore, I urge my counterpart President Ilham Aliyev to agree to a formula to create conditions for progress in the peace process. Any solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be acceptable to the people of Armenia, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of Azerbaijan. We must work together to make this formulation by reality, " Nikol Pashinyan concluded.