Pashinyan speaks on return of captives from Azerbaijan and issue of displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh
3 minute read
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an address to the nation that the initialed text of the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan has been welcomed with satisfaction by the citizens of Armenia, though it has also sparked substantive criticism.
According to Pashinyan, the first concern relates to the absence of provisions regarding Armenians held in Azerbaijani prisons. He explained that while serious efforts had been made to include the issue in the agreement since negotiations began in spring 2022, it was eventually decided not to do so, as its inclusion could have implied that the captives' release would only follow the signing and ratification of the treaty.
“Since the start of negotiations, 58 of our compatriots have returned from captivity. If the issue had depend on the Peace Agreement, this might not have happened,” Pashinyan emphasized, adding that intensive diplomatic efforts continue in order to resolve the matter.
The second major criticism, he said, concerns the Karabakh issue within the framework of the peace agreement. Pashinyan recalled his earlier statements in parliament, noting that he had openly declared that Armenia would not continue the Karabakh movement further and called on the people to make a revolution if they disagreed with his statements.
“Dear citizens, you have not made a revolution because, like me, you understood that peace is impossible without closing the Karabakh issue. It was simply used by certain forces as a tool to prevent Armenia’s independence, sovereignty, and statehood,” he said.
Addressing the fate of displaced persons from Karabakh, Pashinyan reiterated that he does not consider return to be a realistic prospect. He warned that bilateral discussions on the return of refugees in both Armenia and Azerbaijan would undermine peace.
“With our support and that of the international community, they should be resettled in the Republic of Armenia and live, create, and establish themselves here as full citizens of the Republic of Armenia,” the Prime Minister concluded.