YEREVAN. – Past daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: According to Past newspaper’s information, over the past one week the RA authorities have been exerting unprecedented pressure on the authorities of the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Republic, trying to keep them away from the ongoing internal political developments in Armenia.

However, the problem is that the issue concerns Artsakh itself, and there is awareness inside of the fact that these authorities of Armenia remaining unchanged will inevitably lead to the handing over of Artsakh [to Azerbaijan].

Our Artsakh source conveys that [Armenia’s PM] Nikol Pashinyan is using obvious tools of blackmail against Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and his circlers, intimidating with direct text that if they do not carry out his instructions, it will be very bad for them.

We have information also that Harutyunyan complains, in his inner circle, that he is between a rock and a hard place and does not know what to do. Today, a reality has already been created that on the one hand, it is the desire and assertions of the people of Artsakh to stand with the forces [in Armenia] that are defending Artsakh in the streets today; on the other hand, the crumbling authorities and the threats that Pashinyan conveys to the Artsakh authorities—directly or through "mediators."