Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated that Yerevan is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and open transport communications by the end of the year. This information is reported by Radio Azatutyun.
Speaking today at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan is prepared to sign a peace treaty and settle relations with Azerbaijan by the end of the year.
Pashinyan emphasized his commitment to a peaceful agenda and stressed the need for peace in the region. He highlighted that Yerevan is ready to sign a peace agreement that will reflect the principles of mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as envision the opening of transportation routes based on the sovereignty of the countries through which they pass.
According to the Prime Minister, the Armenian side is willing to open the Meghri railway but not as an extraterritorial corridor.
At the same time, Pashinyan expressed concern that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev might use the issue of the so-called corridor as a pretext for a new attack on Armenia and territorial annexation.
In his address, the Armenian leader sought the support of European parliamentarians in the effort to establish peace in the region.
Pashinyan also added that Armenia's formal allies did not assist in addressing the security issues of Armenia and the Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh. Specifically, the Armenian Prime Minister stated that when 100,000 Armenians fled from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia following Azerbaijan's attack, "our security allies not only did not help but also publicly called for a change of government in Armenia, for the overthrow of the democratic government."
According to Pashinyan, a similar scenario - external aggression, inaction by allies, the use of the threat of a new war or a humanitarian crisis to foment internal turmoil in Armenia, jeopardize sovereignty, and even establish a puppet government - has been employed against Armenia several times. However, the democracy in Armenia has ultimately preserved the country's sovereignty and independence.
