ArmInfo.Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called Azerbaijan's actions in the border territories with Armenia destructive, speaking in the government today before a meeting on medium-term fiscal issues. According to him, Baku is taking steps aimed at exacerbating tensions in the region and by these actions it is trying to interrupt the further implementation of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020 and the statement of January 11, 2021.
According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Prime Minister noted that the Ministry of Defense provides the public with information on the situation on a daily basis. It is stable but tense. On the other hand, it is not acceptable for the Armenian side. "Since our position is clear and the units of the armed forces of Azerbaijan must leave the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Of course, our Armed Forces are carrying out tactical actions, but our position is that this situation must be resolved through diplomatic, peaceful means. This is our main approach and our goal>, Pashinyan noted.
He again reminded, that the country's leadership had applied to perform certain functions within the framework of the procedures of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In particular, he informed about the current situation regarding the crisis response by the CSTO and that Armenia will act in accordance with this provision. "In general, we continue consultations within the framework of the CSTO. The process may not go as fast as it should, but there are collective security mechanisms, and we continue to work hard to put them into action, "the prime minister stressed.
At the same time, Pashinyan noted that Armenia will continue its diplomatic efforts to provide the international community with full information about the situation in order to increase international pressure on Azerbaijan. "Naturally, we will continue to work with our strategic partner - the Russian Federation. You are aware that I have turned to the President of Russia with a request for support and that consultations in this direction will be continued, "he stressed.
The prime minister also touched upon the issue of opening regional communications, which was mentioned in the Trilateral Statement. In his words, the Republic of Armenia is not only interested in opening regional communications, but also considers it one of the important economic priorities for itself. "But I want to emphasize once again that Armenia has never discussed and will not discuss issues in line with the "corridor" logic. It is only about opening communications in the region, "Pashinyan stressed. In this context, he noted that "in general, we got the impression that the trilateral commission headed by the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan had done quite effective and constructive work, and it remains to think about the implementation of the results of this work. And it is strange that this provocation took place at this stage>.
In his opinion, it is necessary in this regard to distinguish between, so to speak, "wet and dry". "The opening of communications in the region is not only acceptable for the Republic of Armenia, but also a priority for us. Because according to the agreements we have, Armenia receives a railway connection with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation. Of course, Azerbaijan also has a railway connection with Nakhichevan. Of course, we are talking about cargo transportation. Later, if the general situation is resolved, it will be possible to discuss the issue of direct transportation in these directions, "the prime minister said. He recalled in this context that Armenia signed a statement on January 11, because this statement meets its interests. "We will work hard to open communications in the region and open roads - yes, it is possible for us."
Pashinyan stressed that he was talking about this because he felt that public discourse was trying to identify the issue of opening communication with conversations about some "corridors". "The Republic of Armenia has not discussed, is not discussing, and will not discuss the issue in line with the" corridor "logic," he said.
As for the border situation, the prime minister reiterated that the position of the Armenian side is unambiguous: the Azerbaijani armed forces must withdraw from the sovereign territory of Armenia. "I want to emphasize that here, in this case, talks about demarcation and delimitation are inappropriate." Armenia continues its diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue, which, of course, does not mean that the country's Armed Forces are inactive, they, in turn, are carrying out tactical actions. "But our priority is to prevent the situation from getting out of control," Pashinyan summed up.
To recall, on May 12, the Azerbaijani armed forces illegally entered the territory of Armenia up to 3.5 kilometers in order to establish control over Sev Lich(Black Lake). On May 13, Yerevan officially turned to the CSTO for help in this regard. And on May 14, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan turned personally to Russian President Vladimir Putin for help. According to the latest data, as a result of negotiations, the saboteurs retreated 2 kilometers, however, their part continues to remain on the territory of Armenia.
Today - in the morning of May 19, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia issued a statement in which it expressed hope for a favorable conclusion of the negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the situation around Sev Lich. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense stressed that in the absence of a solution to the problem within a reasonable time frame, the Armenian Armed Forces reserve the right to resolve the problem in other ways, including through the use of force.