Pashinyan: The Priority Today Is to Ensure Stability and Security in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh

YEREVAN — In a live video address to the nation today Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the November 9 statement, which he signed with the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan to stop the war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, contains controversial issues, adding that active diplomatic work was underway on all these issues. “We will definitely find solutions,” he said.

Pashinyan stated that the priority today is to ensure stability and security in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh.

“An important goal today is to preserve the peace that has been achieved, to make it lasting, and if we can make it permanent, much better. Today, an important goal is to ensure stability and security around Armenia and Artsakh, to ensure the security of Artsakh, ensure the smooth and safe operation of the Lachin corridor, provide conditions for the return of the people of Artsakh, restore the regions of Artsakh and Armenia affected by war,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the agreements also envisage reopening of the region’s transport communications, a problem that will change the image not only of the region but also of Armenia. At the same time, the prime minister assured that the authorities will be honest with the people.

“But that doesn’t mean we’re perfect. This does not mean that we are right in everything, it does not mean that we were not mistaken and will not be mistaken. But we will be honest with our fellow citizens in everything. And we will overcome this challenge, we will overcome it together,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed that to ensure the above-mentioned it’s important to implement the agreements reached on November 9.

“These arrangements also foresee the exchange of prisoners and bodies of the dead. These agreements also lead to the intensification of the search for the missing, which is a very important issue for all of us, and every hour, every minute can be fatal here. I have met with hundreds of relatives of the missing and captured soldiers these days and have listened to all their demands and complaints. They are right and we must act quickly, but I repeat, unfortunately, it depends not only on us,” PM Pashinyan said.

According to him, the main goal today is to build the future.

“But before that, we must return the bodies of our victims, pay our respects to them, return our captives, we must find the boys who may be sheltered somewhere in the war zone. We must ensure the smooth operation of the Lachin corridor, we must ensure the return of the people of Artsakh, we must resolve the most urgent and tense border issues, around which new noise may arise, but we must cross that road,” the PM said.

Pashinyan lashed out at his political opponents who are remnants of the former regime, saying they want to “spread chaos” in Armenia in a bid to oust him from power in the aftermath of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan insisted that most Armenians continue to support him and his government despite Azerbaijan’s victory in the war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10.

“In Armenia and outside it, there are people and groups who are trying to create a semblance of anarchy and spread chaos in our country,” he said in his televised address to the nation. “They want to bring the war into Armenia and, using assault rifles and criminal groups, leave the country in a state of free-fall in order to ensure their return [to power] as saviors.

“I want to state clearly and unequivocally that we will not allow that to happen. Not because we are clinging to power but because the people do not want that.”

“Yes, the people have questions and are sometimes bitter and angry, sometimes disappointed and sometimes hopeless. But I see in all this the people’s trust [in the government] and want to thank the people for that trust,” added Pashinyan.