I am guilty that in 2018-2019 I did not stand before our society and did not voice that all our friends expect us to hand over the seven known regions to Azerbaijan in this or that configuration and lower the yardstick we set for the status of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], that the international community unequivocally recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, expects us to also recognize [it]. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this Wednesday during the National Assembly debates on the execution of the 2021 program of the government of Armenia.
"This is not the end of the story because it is one thing to talk about it with the people in time, it is second to convince the people of concessions, and the third issue to bring all that to fruition.
In order to talk to people about it in time, I first had to convince myself that it was the right way. And I confess to myself, I could not convince.
I could not convince myself because we have been telling the Armenian society for 25 years that all the hardships we have suffered have a greater purpose, and that is the freedom of Artsakh. (…)
I could not convince myself because when I was getting familiarized with the negotiation documents, I was becoming convinced that [then-President] Serzh Sargsyan was not exaggerating at all when he said that Armenia was ready to leave the 7 regions, but every time Azerbaijan was positing new demands and that Azerbaijan's expectations are unrealistic and unacceptable to us.
I also could not convince myself also because when I realized that [then-President] Robert Kocharyan was not exaggerating at all when he was stating that Armenia also has an issue of territorial integrity.
It was difficult to become convinced that as a result of 30 years of hardship, one can simply hand over the fruits of victory and get nothing in return. To accept this meant to admit that by declaring a state, we have created a facade and completely and utterly failed the work of institutional establishment of the state," Pashinyan said.
According to him, the situation is the same in terms of content, and he cannot repeat the same mistakes.
"Today, the international community clearly tells Armenia that being the only country in the world that does not recognize—at a bilateral level—the territorial integrity of Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan is a great danger not only for Artsakh, but also for Armenia.
Today, the international community is telling us, ‘Lower our bar on the matter of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh a little, and you will ensure great international consolidation around Armenia and Artsakh.’ Otherwise, the international community says, ‘Do not pin hopes on us—not because we do not want to help you, but because we cannot help you,"’ said the Prime Minister of Armenia.