Solution of NK conflict is up to the people, Pashinyan’s response to HHK candidate

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The NK conflict will be settled the way the people will want it, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a campaigning rally of his My Step bloc in the town of Stepanavan.

Pashinyan made the comment in response to Republican candidate for parliament Davit Shahnazaryan’s statement.

“I am the first Armenian leader to have said the following: no Armenian leader or government can solve the Karabakh issue because it is the people that should solve it. If a settlement offer will exist that in my opinion will be acceptable, I will discuss this offer with the people,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan noted that only the government of Artsakh can present the stance of Artsakh in the NK conflict settlement.

“Only the Karabakh government can present the Karabakh stance in the NK issue, me and other leaders of Armenia can only negotiate on behalf of Armenia. I have invited the Artsakh government, the entire command of the military, representatives of the political elite and I have presented all circumstances of the negotiations process that exists up to this point with all its detail. The more people possess the Karabakh issue negotiations process, the better, because there can’t be secrets for the military, the diplomats, and, taking into consideration certain nuances, also the people. This kind of a meeting didn’t take place in the past,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan also addressed the questions about going for concessions.

“I have publicly said several times that it is unacceptable when international representatives come and ask – is Armenia ready for concessions? I have said that Armenia will answer this question when the international community will ask this same question to Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said.

Earlier, HHK’s Davit Shahnazaryan said that Pashinyan and his government pose a greater danger for Artsakh than the Azerbaijani military.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan