VIDEO: Prime Minister's Words Do Not Mean the Decision is Made, Ruben Vardanyan

Public-political figure and former Prime Minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan has given an interview to the Russian television channel "Dozhd" on the program "Here and Now." In response to the question about what will happen to the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh who have longed for peace, Vardanyan stated that the words of the Prime Minister of Armenia do not mean that the decision is made.

"He does not have the right; he has no right to make decisions on behalf of the people of Artsakh. Second, there are numerous restrictions that do not grant one person the authority to make such a decision. Third, when he came to power, he promised that no one would have the right to make such decisions, and that such decisions would only be made by the people. Therefore, I believe that this statement is his personal opinion that he is trying to impose on both the people of Armenia and Artsakh. But this decision will not be accepted. I am convinced that a large number of people will unite and demand a referendum so that he can personally see that the people living in Artsakh and Armenia are unanimous in saying that what he is proposing is impossible," Vardanyan noted.

According to the former Prime Minister, the Prime Minister has certain limitations on his powers. "Let me reiterate—the will of the people is above all, therefore a referendum is necessary, and I believe all healthy forces must unite to declare that it is impossible for the 120,000 people living in Artsakh, including 30,000 children, to independently decide their future, and no one from outside can impose such a decision on them," he said.

When asked by the journalist why Pashinyan made such a statement, what compelled him, Vardanyan noted that they are unaware of everything happening behind the scenes of the negotiations. "For a person who has been defeated in war, it is psychologically difficult to emerge from that situation. Although he was re-elected in 2021, it is still evident that the pressure on him is so great that he has not been able to overcome that defeatist attitude. And he does not realize that everything he says is not just recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity; rather, numerous catastrophic actions, which will be impossible to stop, will follow. Therefore, either he does not understand what he is doing, in which case a serious question arises about how he can be Prime Minister, or he understands what he is doing, which is even more terrifying, because what he is doing will lead to disastrous consequences for the people living in Artsakh and also for Armenia. I am convinced that everything happening in Artsakh will directly affect everything happening in Armenia. After Artsakh, the next phase will be the occupation of Armenia," he stated.

For more details, see the video.