Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the people, noting why he signed the well-known statement with the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan. He mentioned that with that it was possible to avoid losing Stepanakert, as well as the danger of 25 thousand soldiers being surrounded and captured.

“As for the content of the original document, it is really unfavorable for us, but it should not be made worse than it really is. In particular, rumors are spread about handing over Meghri, which is absolute nonsense. It is only a matter of unblocking the region’s transport routes, including from Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan, but this means that the transport routes from Yerevan to Nakhichevan to Syunik must be unblocked, including Armenia’s railway communication with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is essential and may have a role in the further development of our country’s economy.

As for Nagorno-Karabakh, or more precisely the part that is under the control of the Artsakh authorities, the Lachin corridor from Goris to Stepanakert, with the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, will operate uninterrupted, moreover, also in the Shushi sector. The Russian peacekeepers will provide the same safe road in the whole area; the Stepanakert-Yerevan connection must be reliable.

The peacekeepers will also ensure the security of those parts of Artsakh, the border, so the residents of the settlements within the perimeter of the peacekeepers’ deployment must return to their homes as soon as possible. And the governments of Armenia and Artsakh will do their best to eliminate the devastation as soon as possible, to create all the necessary conditions for a peaceful and normal life.”