Pashinyan Sees No Diplomatic Solution to Karabakh War Calls on All Armenias to Take Up Arms

YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the search for a diplomatic solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at this stage is completely meaningless.

“We have repeatedly stated that we are ready to resolve the issue through mutual concessions,” Pashinyan said in a live address to the nation aired on Facebook. “But what we agree to or would agree to is now not acceptable to Azerbaijan, and this shows that it is meaningless to speak of any diplomatic solution at least at this stage.”

He said that Azerbaijan is continuing offensive military operations in and around Karabakh.

“Yes, the situation on the front is very complicated, very difficult. Fighting continues in the entire southern part of Artsakh. The enemy is throwing its last resources into battle. Yes, their resources are very, very large, but our heroic soldiers manage to inflict great losses on them inexplicably. In these circumstancesArmenians have no choice but to keep fighting until it will be possible to diplomatically achieve some acceptable variant.” He said,

Pashinyan went on to urge the heads of Armenian local government bodies, political parties and other groups to form volunteer units that will join troops fighting against the Azerbaijani army on the Karabakh frontlines.

He said that these groups should be subordinated to the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

“If this process is organized effectively, we will eventually manage to achieve a diplomatic solution acceptable to us because in essence Azerbaijan is saying today that it will not agree to anything but Karabakh’s capitulation,” added Pashinyan.

In his remarks, Pashinyan praised Russia for “doing its best” to halt the hostilities and revive the Karabakh peace process. Moscow is also fulfilling its role as a “strategic ally of Armenia and the Armenian people,” he stressed.