20:56,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a press conference broadcast online Friday, clarified the meaning behind granting Nagorno- Karabakh an interm status, and touched upon  the thesis of some opposition circles that the Russian Federation is punishing the Armenian authorities for certain actions. 

Nikol Pashinyan said that a thesis is being actively circulated, that, allegedly, the Russian Federation punished the Armenian authorities with the 44-Day War.

"First of all, I would not like to make the Russian Federation a subject of discussion in this context, but let's discuss this thesis seriously.

In that case, who punished whom and for what during the Four-Day War of 2016? The circulated thesis implies that there was a revolution, the revolution was not desirable for our partners, as if this government was pro-Western, and that’s why it was punished.

"In this case what was the purpose of the Four-Day War in 2016? What can be said about the events of 2013 when Armenia engaged in negotiations to sign the Association Agreement with the Western world but canceled the decision overnight, instead becoming a member of the Eurasian Economic Union? Furthermore, why did Russia sign a multibillion-dollar arms contract with Azerbaijan in 2011?"

I haven't said everything about Karabakh. A lot can be said about the Karabakh issue.  What was Serzh Sargsyan's statement about in April 2018? What was he referring to when he expressed that, for a considerable period, there was little hope that Azerbaijan would abandon its military approach to resolving the Karabakh issue, and the negotiation process had reached a deadlock?''  Pashinyan inquired.

The Prime Minister has provided some details about the negotiation situation related to the Nagorno- Karabakh issue as of 2018.

“The UN General Assembly planned a resolution on ways and means of organizing Nagorno-Karabakh's own life, which was to be adopted by the UN Security Council at the proposal of the UN Secretary General, which was to be discussed with Azerbaijan, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Republic of Armenia. What did this interim status imply? This meant the abolition of the existing state order in Nagorno-Karabakh and the formation of a new system.

I am talking about the negotiation situation and the content of the negotiations as of 2018. So in the UN Security Council, according to these documents, Nagorno-Karabakh should have received a decision on organizing its life, which was supposed to be the status of Nagorno- Karabakh until the final settlement of the issue.

What is hidden under these sentences? The status that existed from that moment in Nagorno-Karabakh with some of its features had to be reduced to nothing and the new one should be created with the understanding that within the framework of the Madrid principles, Nagorno-Karabakh is an entity made up of Armenians and Azerbaijanis. And both the Armenians  and Azerbaijanis were to participate participate in the administration of Nagorno-Karabakh.

No matter how the previous government tries to deny it, for a person who knows a little diplomacy, this is an axiom, and these documents exist. This is a proven and indisputable thing," said Nikol Pashinyan.