Continuing the Karabakh Movement Means War, Says Nikol Pashinyan

YEREVAN — “If the people decide that the Karabakh movement should continue, that means war. If they decide it should not continue, that means peace. It is a very simple choice,” stated Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a Q&A session in the National Assembly.

“The people must decide whether the Karabakh movement should continue or not. We are the only political force saying it should not continue. All other forces say they will continue it. Continuing the Karabakh movement means war,” the Prime Minister said.

Ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections, Pashinyan and members of his team have warned that war could break out in September if their political force is not re-elected.

Referring to the Declaration of Independence, Pashinyan reiterated: “It is not a declaration of independence; it is a declaration of conflict and dependency.”

According to him, basing statehood on confrontation with all neighbors makes it impossible to live without external assistance and avoid dependency.

“If we do not change, our historical fate will not change. The reason for our past misfortunes is that we allowed ourselves to be used against others, calling it a guarantee,” Pashinyan added.