Pashinyan demands oppositionists to apologize from public for “capitulation” narrative

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement as a “very important document” which stipulates several important issues – the existence of Nagorno Karabakh and the deployment of the peacekeepers.

“First, the existence of Nagorno Karabakh is recorded, the existence of the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact, the deployment of peacekeepers as guarantor of security, the existence of the Lachin corridor as the connection between NK and Armenia, the agenda of unblocking is recorded, the rights of refugees and so on,” Pashinyan said at his Civil Contract Party’s congress, emphasizing that it is another matter how and in what manner this trilateral agreement is being implemented.

Pashinyan said that some forces have described the 9 November 2020 to be a “capitulation” of Armenia. “Now these very same forces are strongly defending the November 9 statement, saying that we can’t lose the achievements in the document. And today, those who were accusing us of signing a capitulation on November 9 in 2020 are saying that I am preparing to sign a capitulation soon. History hasn’t seen the same government or country sign a capitulation twice or three times. Meaning, if the November 9 document is a capitulation, it means that’s it, there’s no way to sign another capitulation. If there is, then the November 9 document is not a capitulation,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan proposed to record the following: “All those who are saying that I am preparing to sign a capitulation should apologize from the public before saying so for having called the November 9 document a capitulation. This is an issue of simple literacy, but if these people are not apologizing then they don’t have the right to terrorize the public about new capitulations because a capitulation happens only once in the history of a country or moreover a government. I say again, our oppositionists should make up their mind in this matter.”