Why Nikol Pashinyan Does Not Respond to Aliyev's Threats and Insults

On January 20, during a question-and-answer session with the government at the National Assembly, Gagik Tsarukyan Bloc MP Vardan Vardanian addressed Nikol Pashinyan with a question that particularly interests the Armenian diaspora. The MP wanted to know why Nikol Pashinyan does not respond to the threats and insults from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and why he does not provide a stronger personal response to Aliyev.

Nikol Pashinyan pointed out that there is a golden rule in situations of hostage-taking: when hostages are present, the side holding the hostages expresses something, and the first reaction should be to adopt a behavior that does not put the safety of the hostages at risk. He stated, “Today we are not discussing a personal matter. We are talking about the return of our captives, but equally important is ensuring their safety until they return, as much as possible under the current circumstances.” He added that necessary responses have been made politically and diplomatically in appropriate places and manners.