Among the key points, he advocated for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and the renunciation of mutual claims, including appeals to international courts—aligning with the official stance of Baku.
However, Pashinyan’s approach to the issue of Western Azerbaijan reveals the continuation of a discriminatory policy by the Armenian authorities. The prime minister outright rejected the idea of meeting with representatives of the Western Azerbaijan Community or discussing the return of Azerbaijanis to their ancestral lands.
In his remarks, Pashinyan made dismissive statements, declaring: “Western Azerbaijan is Gazakh, Tovuz, Aghstafa, Gadabay, Dashkasan, Kalbajar, Lachin, Gubadli, and Zangilan. Beyond this, there is no Western Azerbaijan and cannot be. If they truly want to search elsewhere, let them look to Nakhchivan. We can also consider it Western Azerbaijan.”
These comments are perplexing, given that Western Azerbaijan holds significant historical and cultural importance for Azerbaijanis who were forcibly displaced from these territories. The refusal to address the issue of return and the disregard for the requests of the Western Azerbaijan Community highlight the Armenian side’s unwillingness to engage in constructive dialogue.
