The trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020 states that peacekeepers are deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh for a period of 5 years, with the automatic extension of successive five-year periods. I repeat, automatically extended. This essentially means that the peacekeepers are stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh indefinitely, unless all issues related to the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are addressed and all security concerns of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are resolved.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this today, 10 November, during the regular Cabinet Meeting of the Government.
With the trilateral statements of November 26, 2021 and October 31, 2022, the President of Azerbaijan himself acknowledged the crucial, important contribution of the peacekeepers in ensuring security and stability in the area of their deployment. Moreover, he recognized the need for further efforts of the Russian peacekeepers in ensuring stability of the situation in the region. Speaking about removal of the peacekeepers without clear international guarantees for the security and rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh after signing these two Sochi statements and making these records, is not only a violation of the mentioned trilateral statements, but also a preparation for the genocide of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The long-time manipulative speech developed by Azerbaijan around the Lachin Corridor and the attempt to draw parallels between the Lachin Corridor and the unblocking of all regional transport and economic links provided for in point 9 of the trilateral declaration of November 9 are another actions and statements contradicting to the trilateral declaration of November 9.
The President of Azerbaijan is trying to create grounds, invented grounds for closing the Lachin Corridor, surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and subjecting them to genocide and expatriation under the pretext of Armenia not fulfilling its obligations.
Meanwhile, the regulations of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 leave no room for such parallels and this is justified by several facts.
In points 3 and 6 of the trilateral declaration concerning Lachin Corridor, it is written “Lachin Corridor”, this is a quotation, that is, Lachin Corridor is directly named as such.
In the 9th point of the same declaration, there is no mention of a corridor, neither any territory of the Republic of Armenia, nor a place name.
According to point 6 of the trilateral declaration, the Lachin Corridor is not only a road or a transport route, but also a 5-kilometer wide area.
In point 9, there is no mention of any such area and it’s only about communication, transport communication.
According to point 6 of the trilateral declaration, the Lachin Corridor is under the control of the Russian peacekeeping troops.
In point 9, it is stated that the Border Gguard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation carries out oversight over transport communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the autonomous republic of Nakhichevan. This issue is further clarified by point 3 of the decree No. 695 of the President of the Russian Federation of November 10, 2020 “On ensuring peace in Nagorno-Karabakh”, which states, I quote: “To the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation: Carry out oversight over the transportation connections between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan provided by the Republic of Armenia for the unhindered two-way movement of citizens, goods, and vehicles.”
In other words, there is no and cannot be any question of control over our sovereign territory and alienation of any of our sovereign functions, we are talking about oversighting the implementation of agreements, and by saying agreement, we should understand the statement, because naturally, there can be no other agreement, and this is the only thing the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation can do.
According to point 6 of the trilateral declaration, the Lachin Corridor was created solely for the purpose of creating an uninterrupted and safe connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia, as a guarantee of security, as the only and irreplaceable way of life for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Point 9 of the same declaration is about unblocking the transport and economic links of the region, and it is only in that context that the transport communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan is mentioned, and this communication, accordingly, is part of the process of unblocking the transport and economic links of the region.
This is also made evident by the trilateral statement of January 11, 2021, which is the extended version of paragraph 9 of the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020, a document explaining its meaning.
Accordingly, it is necessary to record that the accusations against Armenia of violating point 9 of the declaration of November 9, 2020 are completely groundless. By that point, Armenia has only one obligation, which is to ensure the transportation link between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan. By the way, no specific route is mentioned in the November 9 declaration or any other statement.
The Republic of Armenia has always been ready and is still ready to provide that communication, and it is for this purpose that the draft decision of the Armenian government has been put into circulation on the creation of checkpoints on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, and as a result of the adoption of this decision, Azerbaijan can receive communication with the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan through the roads of Armenia. That decision has not been adopted for one reason: Azerbaijan does not want that route. This means that Armenia fully fulfills its obligation, and it is Azerbaijan that does not want to use the opportunity. Moreover, this policy of refusal is completely incomprehensible. If Azerbaijan really wants peace and is ready for peace, as it declares, then let’s open those checkpoints, let’s create opportunities for people. It is clear that people will hesitate, they will consider, but when they are convinced of the sincerity of intentions, the citizens of both the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan will definitely start using this new opportunity for movement.
As for the construction of new roads, the Republic of Armenia simply does not have such an obligation with the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020 or any statement or document. Point 9 of the declaration provides such a possibility in case of agreement between the parties. And the Republic of Armenia is ready to give its consent. And the agreement is not achieved for only one reason. Azerbaijan continues to carry out aggressive rhetoric and actions contrary to the reached agreements and signed statements.
The fact that the President of Azerbaijan himself breached the agreement reached in the presence of the President of the European Council Charles Michel on December 14, 2021 in Brussels, needs to be specially emphasized, and there was also a public statement about it. According to that, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to start the restoration works of the Yeraskh-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway and clearly stated that the railway will operate in accordance with the laws of both countries.
A few days later, the President of Azerbaijan himself refused to sign the document confirming this agreement. It seemed to be a very simple situation, all that was needed was to put what was publicly announced on paper and just sign it, but Azerbaijan declined this action. Even today, the President of Azerbaijan refuses to do that, and I officially announce that I am still ready to sign the document confirming this agreement. I am talking about the agreement, regarding which I made a post on my Facebook page and also made a statement on this issue at the Cabinet meeting, gave instructions and so on.
I already said that the president of Azerbaijan himself refuses to use the opportunity offered by Armenia for transport communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan.
The President of Azerbaijan himself refuses the proposal for the construction of new communications, which the Republic of Armenia formulated in a written form and sent to Azerbaijan in December 2021. Moreover, we are going to present a new proposal on this topic in the near future. And by the way, we have another additional, reserve proposal on this topic.
The President of Azerbaijan himself is breaching the agreement on the comprehensive addressing of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, which was reached in December 2021 in Brussels.
The President of Azerbaijan himself is canceling the option of indefinitely postponing the issue of the status of Nagorno Karabakh, which was agreed upon in November 2020 with the mediation of the Russian President.
The President of Azerbaijan himself violates the statement made in Sochi on November 26, 2021 and breakes the reached agreement, according to which the border delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan should proceed under conditions of ensuring border security and exclude any escalation.
The President of Azerbaijan himself broke the agreement reached in Brussels in December 2021, according to which a simultaneous withdrawal of troops was to be carried out in the most dangerous areas.
And why is it acting this way, why does Azerbaijan bring the process to a dead end every time? to continue his aggressive policy of genocide. The President of Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of having an army in Nagorno Karabakh as part of the preparations for the genocide of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh.
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