Armenian PM Pashinyan: Armenia ready to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan should local Armenian population be provided security

Armenia is ready to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan upon the condition that the local Armenian population be provided security, TASS cites Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“After we sign the peace treaty, there is an idea to create a demilitarised zone along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, which I think is a suggestion worth discussing,” Pashinyan added.

Sputnik Armenia reported earlier that Pashinyan recognised the “territorial integrity” of Azerbaijan inside its 86,600 square km.

“Three days ago, with the mediation from the President of the European Council, we made a step forward, stressing that Armenia recognises 86,600 square km of Azerbaijani territory, and that Azerbaijan recognises Armenia’s territory to be 29,800 square km,” Prime Minister said on 17 May.

The 86,600 square km territory includes Nagorno-Karabakh.

In addition, at today’s press conference, Pashinyan also stated that Armenia may leave the CSTO bloc if it finds the latter a “dysfunctional” formation.

On 28 April, Azerbaijani “eco-activists” who had been blocking the Lachin corridor since 12 December 2022 announced a suspension of the “protest” that lasted 183 days and ended with Azerbaijan installing a roadblock with a checkpoint. The Lachin corridor is the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Because of its blockade, the unrecognised republic was cut off from the outside world.

The authorities of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh stated that the blockade of the Lachin corridor led to a humanitarian crisis: there was no electricity supply in the region for 104 days, and there was no gas supply for 67 days. Due to food shortages, ration stamps were introduced in the region.