Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Artsakh’s President Bako Sahakyan chaired a joint sitting of the Security Councils of the two countries.
Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian, Speakers of Parliament of Armenia and Artsakh Ararat Mirzoyan and Ashot Ghulyan were present at the sitting.
Addressing the meeting, PM Pashinyan said although the results of the peace process have been modest this year, two important agreements have been achieved on creating an environment conducive to peace and preparing peoples to peace.
“These agreement have had two practical implications: despite regular ceasefire violations, we have generally managed to avoid military escalation and keep the situation in check for all parties,” he said.
“However, ceasefire violations continue to result in human casualties, endanger the civilian population of the conflict zone, and undermine the peace process,” the Prime Minister added.
He reminded that last week Azerbaijan fired on Armenia’s north-eastern border roads and settlements, adding that the incident does not contribute to the peace process.
“In the current situation, ceasefire arrangements need to be implemented consistently, including through the expansion of capacities the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Equally important are peacebuilding programs for peoples in the framework of which journalists were exchanged,” Nikol Pashinyan added.
He said it’s important for Azerbaijani journalists to visit Armenia and Artsakh and for journalists from Armenia and Artsakh to visit Azerbaijan, and finally find ways to work with each other.
“On various occasions I have indicated that without the active involvement and agreement of the people of Armenia, the people of Artsakh and the people of Azerbaijan, sustainable peace and reconciliation cannot be achieved. Let us hope that this program will serve as a starting point for the preparation and reconciliation of peoples’ peace,” PM Pashinyan stated.
The Prime Minister noted that the status of Artsakh is of primary importance and stressed that any attempt to present the return to the status quo of 1986-1987 or any of its modifications as an option for conflict settlement is inappropriate and does not meet the essence and content of the conflict.
Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that any solution should be acceptable to the peoples of Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
“Declaring this principle, I hoped that the President of Azerbaijan would make a similar statement, which would open up great opportunities for substantial progress in the negotiation process. Unfortunately, however, we have not heard such a statement from the Azeri leader so far, and I think that all international structures and partners involved in the conflict settlement should put forward the task of encouraging the Azerbaijani President to make such a statement, to agree with an understandable and logical formula,” he stated.
“There is no military solution to the Karabakh issue,” PM Pashinyan said, stressing that such attempts will be disastrous for Azerbaijan itself, especially considering the unprecedented amount and quality of weapons purchased by Armenia over the past years.
