Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired Armenia’s Security Council session.
Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and made a proposal to the international community and the Azerbaijani Government.
“The offer is as follows. We agree that very quickly the units of the armed forces of both sides will leave the border in a mirror way. We suggest that the units of the armed forces return to their permanent locations from those areas,” Pashinyan said. According to him, instead international observers representing Russia or OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will be deployed along the border. “The presence of observers in the region is necessary for the parties to be sure that the other side is keeping the agreement, and does not bring troops closer to the border,” he said, emphasizing that he is speaking about the Sotk-Khoznavar section, where the border tension is.
“After that, the border checkpoints will be adjusted under international auspices. In this case, my idea is that observers representing Russia and OSCE Minsk Group should be involved, and this process should take place under the auspices of the OSCE MG Co-Chairs,” he said.
According to Pashinyan, the next stage should be the work of clarifying the border points, with the support of the representatives of Russia or OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries from Sotk to Khoznavar. “This is my plan, which, if Azerbaijan has a problem with the clarification of border points, should not have a reason to reject the proposal,” Pashinyan said, adding that this can be considered an official offer to Russia, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and Azerbaijan.
“I hope this proposal will be accepted. After getting acquainted with the situation on the ground, I have come to the conclusion that this is the shortest, most effective and reasonable solution to the situation. If we do not go this way, the situation will inevitably get out of control, which we cannot allow,” he said.
