2020 November 9 trilateral statement doesn’t envisage limitation to Armenian sovereignty over its territory – PM

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has again denied allegations that the terms of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement envisage a third power’s presence on Armenian territory for supervising transport connections.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Pashinyan commented on claims made in Russia and Azerbaijan that Armenia’s alleged failure to implement article 9 of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement could lead to war.

Pashinyan said that several terms of the document have been breached, including the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the preservation of the Lachin Corridor.

He commented on misinterpretations alleging that Armenia agreed to a third power to ensure security of transport connections.

“Article 9 of the November 9 trilateral statement doesn’t say anything like that. There is the opposite. It says that the Republic of Armenia shall guarantee the security of transport connections,” Pashinyan said.

He denied the claims that the document envisages limitation of Armenian sovereignty against parts of its territory.

“Nothing like that is written. The Republic of Armenia has not only never given up sovereignty and jurisdiction against any of its territory, either partially or entirely, under any document or any way, but has also never agreed to limitation of its jurisdiction. It [trilateral statement] mentions the Russian federal security service forces, but it doesn’t say that these forces shall be present on the ground. And furthermore, I have mentioned this dozens of times, the Russian president’s 2020 November decree addressed this matter, which again clearly recorded that the subject that carries out actions on the ground is the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.