All prerequisites for peace are in place - Nikol Pashinyan 

ArmInfo. Below is an article by Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan posted by the Armenpress news agency. 

The official narrative of the Republic of Azerbaijan is increasingly  focusing on the proposition that Armenia is arming itself, preparing  to attack Azerbaijan, and that therefore, Azerbaijan has the right to  defend itself and take preventive measures.

To restate these propositions of Azerbaijani narrative in shorter and  simpler terms, it all comes down to the following:  Armenia is  purportedly preparing to attack Azerbaijan, therefore it is better  for Azerbaijan to attack Armenia as a preventive measure.

These narratives can have two potential origins: either Azerbaijan  really thinks that Armenia intends to attack Azerbaijan, or  Azerbaijan intends to attack Armenia and is trying to create a  foundation for doing so. In both cases, the basic premise is  Azerbaijan's claim about Armenia's intention to attack Azerbaijan.

Is Armenia preparing to attack Azerbaijan?

Any impartial observer can testify to the fact that the Government of  the Republic of Armenia has left no room for ambiguous interpretation  in this matter. I have stated on multiple occasions, and now I  consider it necessary to clarify, that the Republic of Armenia is  committed to the strategic agreement reached in Prague on October 6,  2022, whereby Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's  territorial integrity and sovereignty on the basis of the Alma-Ata  Declaration.

That is, the Republic of Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity  and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan over the territory of  the Azerbaijan SSR, and the Republic of Azerbaijan recognizes the  territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia over  the territory of the Armenian SSR.

This notion has already gained de-jure force in the two countries, as  the Alma-Ata Declaration was affirmed as the basic principle of the  demarcation process between the two countries in the Regulation on  the Joint Activities of the Commission on Demarcation of the State  Border and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the  Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Commission on Demarcation of the  State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of  Armenia, which has been ratified in both states. 

It is also in light of this fact that I have stated several times  that the Republic of Armenia is not setting the objective of using  military means to return even the more than 200 square kilometers of  territories, an integral part of the 29,743 square kilometers of  internationally-recognized sovereign territory of the Republic of  Armenia, which are currently under Azerbaijani occupation, because  the above-mentioned Regulation has already in principle resolved that  issue, and there is a real and substantive possibility to resolve it  in practice in the demarcation process.

In this context, I consider it necessary to emphasize that on the  occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Armenian Army, I declared  that the army should not be engaged outside the  internationally-recognized sovereign territory of the Republic of  Armenia (this, of course, does not relate to the participation of  Armenian peacekeeping units in international peacekeeping forces).

Therefore, the claims about Armenia's intention to attack Azerbaijan  are simply made-up.

Is the Republic of Armenia arming?

The Republic of Armenia is reforming its army within the framework of  the above-mentioned principle, that is, to protect its territorial  integrity and sovereignty recognized internationally, including by  Azerbaijan. This, by the way, is an internationally-recognized right  of any country, and challenging it is a gross violation of  international law.

Do the reforms of the Armenian army have anything to do with  Azerbaijan? Both yes and no.

No, because as I explained above, Armenia has no plan, intention, or  goal for any military action against Azerbaijan.

Yes, because threats to the security of the Republic of Armenia are  generated precisely in Azerbaijan. Firstly, in spite of the Prague  Agreement, statements are made by the highest levels of Azerbaijan  questioning the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia.

These statements are most fully formulated in the so-called "Western  Azerbaijan" narrative, which is sponsored by the top leadership of  Azerbaijan, and in the founding documents of an organization bearing  the same name, about 60 percent of the sovereign territory of the  Republic of Armenia is referred to as "territories presently under  the control of the Republic of Armenia" or "territory presently under  the control of the political and legal unit called the Republic of  Armenia."

Now, let us see this in combination with the staged trial taking  place in Baku, Azerbaijan's billion-dollars procurement of weapons,  and official Baku's aggressive rhetoric, only to make it clear that  real threats are being generated in Azerbaijan against the security  of the Republic of Armenia.

Solutions

The solutions to this situation are on the table; they were generated  as a result of the joint work of the representatives of Armenia and  Azerbaijan. Firstly, the already agreed articles of the peace  agreement have fundamentally resolved the issue of not only not  having territorial claims against each other, but also not making  such claims in the future. The signing of the peace agreement will  forever close the door for both Armenia and Azerbaijan to ever make  territorial claims against each other, a door that was already closed  in Prague. The agreed part of the peace agreement is sufficiently  weighty and mature for signing, although the Republic of Armenia has  proposed comprehensive solutions for the two non-agreed articles and  is awaiting Azerbaijan's positive response.

Moreover, the Republic of Armenia has submitted a written proposal to  Azerbaijan on the establishment of mechanisms for reciprocal arms  control and joint investigation of border incidents, and is awaiting  Azerbaijan's positive response.

Furthermore, the Republic of Armenia has submitted a written proposal  to Azerbaijan on performing railway transportation from Azerbaijan to  Azerbaijan and internationally through the territory of Armenia, and  from Armenia to Armenia and internationally through the territory of  Azerbaijan, and is awaiting Azerbaijan's positive response.

The Commission on Demarcation of the State Border and Border Security  between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and  the State Commission on Demarcation of the State Border between the  Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia are operating  normally and constructively.

A meeting was recently held between the Republic of Armenia  Interagency Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing  Persons and the Republic of Azerbaijan State Commission for Prisoners  of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens.

All of this means that there are no prerequisites for escalation in  the region and, moreover, all the prerequisites for peace have been  put in place. It is necessary to abandon staged actions and a policy  of staging escalations, and to establish institutional peace. Armenia  not only is ready for this, but will not divert from this path.

NIKOL PASHINYAN

Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia