There Are No Armenian Soldiers in Artsakh, Says Nikol Pashinyan

In a government meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that key security institutions of Artsakh are enshrined in the trilateral statement of November 9. "Firstly, the registration of the Artsakh entity has taken place, and Azerbaijan continues to deny it by claiming that Artsakh does not exist. Such statements from Azerbaijan grossly violate the trilateral agreement. Secondly, it has been recorded that a contact line exists, and thirdly, the Lachin corridor, which provides connectivity between Artsakh and Armenia," he said.

Pashinyan emphasized that today's fight of Azerbaijan is against these three institutions, and expressed hope that, as stipulated in the trilateral agreement, the Russian peacekeeping forces would not allow Azerbaijan to disrupt these fundamental institutions enshrined in the statement.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan continuously talks about the Artsakh Defense Army and questions their presence along the contact line. "If the Russian peacekeeping forces and Azerbaijan guarantee the inviolability of the contact line, I believe there will be no need for the Artsakh Defense Army to carry out combat duty. Such a need has arisen only after Azerbaijan refused to sign the mandate of the peacekeepers and has persistently violated the provisions of the trilateral statement, including the cessation of all military operations, which is the essence of the aforementioned document," emphasized the Prime Minister.

He added that Azerbaijan continuously politicizes the presence of the Armenian Armed Forces in Artsakh. "I must officially state that there are no Armenian soldiers in Artsakh," Pashinyan declared.