Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on June 9

“Armenia’s Sovereignty is Not Being Questioned,” Moscow Says

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Friday in Sochi, where he emphasized the worsening humanitarian crisis in Artsakh.

The two leaders were meeting on the margins of sessions of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS countries being held in the Russian port city.

“Unfortunately the humanitarian situation there [Nagorno-Karabakh] remains tense. There has been no gas and electricity in Nagorno-Karabakh for several months, the situation in the Lachin Corridor continues to be quite tense,” Pashinyan told Putin, emphasizing that Artsakh is under the “zone of responsibility” of the Russian peacekeeping forces.

He went on to underscore the worsening humanitarian situation in Artsakh, adding that a limited amount of food is being transported there by the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk reassured Armenia that its sovereignty was not being questioned.

The Russian leader made the comments while summing up the result of meetings with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts over the opening of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Saying that the meeting lasted nine hours, Overchuk said that a draft proposal was in the final stages of completion.

“There are a couple of contradictions which require additional discussions, specifically around issues related to where the railway will pass,” Overchuk said, adding that the railway will operate like any other ordinary rail line.

He also suggested that an agreement was reached on the customs control mechanisms, with border agents carrying out passport and customs checks.

According to Sputnik Armenia, the Russian leader was asked whether the Russian Security Service would be manning the borders, with Overchuk saying that “this would depend on Armenia.”