The Declaration to Cease War Signed Considering Risks and Dangers of Further Developments: Avinyan

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan emphasized that the declaration to cease hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh was signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after discussions with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Minister of Defense, and other leaders responsible for the situation, taking into account the risks and dangers of further developments.

Avinyan stated this during an interview on Public Television. He noted, “The declaration that was agreed upon between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan was signed for a simple reason. I will not delve into all the diplomatic and military issues of the 30-year-long Karabakh conflict. I will begin from the point where the war started. On September 27, when the enemy began to bombard the entire front line with missiles and artillery, a state of war was declared in Armenia, and the Prime Minister clearly stated in the National Assembly that he was being offered an option regarding the return of 7 territories without preconditions, based on all previously negotiated documents and proposed solutions. I believe this proposal was rejected by all three factions, and we chose the path of war, the path of fighting with dignity.

He further noted, “I want to emphasize that during these 40 days and more, the Armenian army fought truly heroic battles against disproportionate and incomparable forces. There has not been a point on the front that was relatively calm; there was not a 100 square meter area that was not subjected to artillery or missile attacks.”

According to him, however, the logic of military operations during these days led to a point where there was a risk of military operations being conducted against Stepanakert, and the defense of Stepanakert was being organized, which could lead to other potential problems in the Martuni region, the Askeran region, and other segments of the front. “This was a painful and, one could say, forced decision made by the Prime Minister, deeply discussed with the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense, with the President of Artsakh, and other leaders who were aware of the situation. This decision was not made hastily; rather, it was made after assessing all the risks and dangers of further developments. We must be aware that the force the Armenian army faced was not solely Azerbaijan. It included the Turkish command structure, mercenaries that were brought in, and countless armored vehicles that simply rained down on Artsakh,” Avinyan remarked.