In This Process, We Are Limited: Pashinyan on Artsakh's Status

During a Q&A session with the government, Anna Grigoryan, a member of the "Armenia" faction, asked the Prime Minister of Armenia to affirm from the podium that any status of Artsakh within Azerbaijan is unacceptable. In response to the representative's question, Pashinyan again blamed the previous administrations, stating that the entire negotiation process had been about leaving Artsakh under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction, as if Nagorno-Karabakh had been excluded from the negotiation table.

The parliament member reiterated her request for a clear statement regarding the government’s position on Artsakh’s status, to which Pashinyan again responded ambiguously. "That's why I said we are starting from a zero point. I said let's clarify what the principles of Madrid mean. Is there a path through which Nagorno-Karabakh can gain a status outside Azerbaijan according to these principles? Our current position is clearly outlined in the government program — the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh's status and self-determination. The position of the Republic of Armenia is that we must do everything possible to protect the rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. In this process, we are limited by the documents and actions that have been accepted by your political leader’s vote in the Republic of Armenia as acceptable norms of international relations. We are limited, and we will try to do everything to overcome these limitations," he stated.

MP Anna Grigoryan also inquired about the emerging 3+3 format in the region. The Russian Foreign Minister had announced that the parties had responded positively and that negotiations were ongoing with Armenia. "Armenia must first understand what these formats are, for what purposes they are being implemented, under what conditions and principles they will operate, and other details, in order to express a clear position on this matter," Pashinyan replied.