Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has admitted that the decision to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan came too late. He made the statement during a press conference on July 16, according to Armenian media reports.
“Yes, in 2022, I recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and that Karabakh is part of it. This decision should have been made much earlier,” Pashinyan stated.
According to the prime minister, Armenia could not expect its own territorial integrity to be recognized without first acknowledging the territorial integrity of its neighbors. “That is why, on October 6, 2022, as the Prime Minister of Armenia, I recognized Armenia’s territorial integrity,” he emphasized.
Pashinyan also addressed the issue of Armenian-Turkish relations, calling reconciliation with Ankara the only viable path for the country. “If Armenia does not go for reconciliation with Türkiye, then what alternatives do we have?” the prime minister asked.
He also questioned the logic of those opposing normalization with Türkiye: “Are they suggesting we go to war with a country like Türkiye? Do we even understand what we’re talking about?” he added.
In addition, Pashinyan commented on claims that he had received proposals from the OSCE Minsk Group regarding the settlement of the Karabakh conflict during his time in office. According to him, no official initiatives were presented to him by the Group.
“I have not received any new proposals from the OSCE Minsk Group. I have said this publicly. What I received were remnants of documents previously presented to Serzh Sargsyan,” Pashinyan explained.
He clarified that the document in question was addressed to the President of Armenia and began with the words: “The Presidents of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan…” “I have never been the President of Armenia, and that document was not addressed to me,” he emphasized.
The prime minister also noted that the proposals which later appeared on the government’s table were the result of negotiations that took place during Sargsyan’s presidency.
