‘Territories for peace’ is unacceptable to us – Armenian PM Pashinyan in public address
On the 18th day of the escalation around Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the people of Karabakh, Armenia, and the entire Armenian diaspora on the air.
Pashinyan presented the position of the Armenian side towards the settlement of the conflict, noting international forces and organizations believe the formula “territory for the establishment of peace” will be acceptable and are thus not reacting to what is happening.
“This is very similar to the Munich Agreement of 1938, when, supposedly for peace, the territory of Czechoslovakia was transferred to Germany. Everyone knows what happened after that. The question is whether the world will allow a new Hitler to appear, this time in Asia Minor”, Pashinyan said.
Here are some of the other main messages of Pashinyan’s address:
• The terrorist aggression of Turkey and Azerbaijan against Karabakh continues
• Azerbaijan has step by step reached the point of setting unacceptable conditions before the Armenians. Pashinyan was referencing the demand that Yerevan give Baku 5 out of 7 districts around Karabakh, which are under the control of NK, as well as submit a timetable for the delivery of the other two. That is, the areas that are the security belt for Nagorno-Karabakh. The last step that Azerbaijan requires: that Karabakh be a part of Azerbaijan. Otherwise, there will be a war. Pashinyan’s government refuses this offer.
• The July military escalation on the Armenian border showed that the Azerbaijani army is not able to resolve the issue by military means. “It was unexpected for everyone, including Turkey. After that, their joint exercises began, Turkish weapons were transferred to Azerbaijan.”
• Turkey has deployed an unprecedented number of mercenaries from Syria to the region, realizing that Azerbaijan is unable to cope with the enemy on its own.
• The war against Karabakh was expected. Only one thing was unknown: from which side Azerbaijan would attack.
• The Turkish-Azerbaijani-terrorist plan to seize Karabakh by blitzkrieg failed.
• Russia has been able at a high level to fulfill the role of a strategic ally of Armenia and a mediator in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
• The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow on October 9-10 was aimed at stopping further casualties. But Baku decided to abandon the ceasefire and continues shelling at these moments.
• Since the beginning of hostilities, the enemy has suffered huge losses – more than the Armenian side, but the Azerbaijani authorities do not report the numbers on the dead. At the same time, mercenaries from Azerbaijan took part in the hostilities, and Armenia and Karabakh have lost their own inhabitants.
• During the first week, the enemy also suffered huge losses of military equipment, but was not limited in supplies, and Karabakh and Armenia operated in isolation.
• Units of the Karabakh army retreated in some parts of the northern and southern directions of the conflict zone.
• With the help of diversion groups, the Azerbaijani side is trying to create chaos and panic in the rear of the Armenian troops.
• The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army maintains control over the situation at the cost of huge casualties. Pashinyan stressed that he is not speaking all this out of despair, but believes that he is obliged to tell the people the truth.
• The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries are making colossal efforts to establish a truce. Pashinyan expressed gratitude to the US administration and the French president for their active participation in the search for ways to resolve.
• Yet these efforts are not enough to curb the Turkish genocidal policy towards the Armenian people.
The Prime Minister concluded his appeal with a statement that Armenia will not back down, that this is a fateful war, and the Armenian people must find the strength to stop the enemy, win and survive.
Full video version of Nikol Pashinyan’s speech:
