Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, at a cabinet session today, refuted Azerbaijani government claims that soldiers from Armenia remain in Karabakh.

Pashinyan’s remarks follow yesterday’s clashes along the Karabakh Line of Contact killing two Armenian soldiers and wounding some fourteen. Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse the other of violating the ceasefire.

Pashinyan said that if Russian peacekeepers and Azerbaijan guarantee the integrity of the Karabakh Line of Contact, the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army need not be on combat duty.

Regarding the demand of the Azerbaijani government, made earlier this week, to close the Lachin Corridor between Armenia and Karabakh, Pashinyan said the November 9, 2020 ceasefire calls for a new roadway to be built by November 2023 and that all parties (Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) must agree on the plan.

Pashinyan said Azerbaijan’s claim that it has constructed an alternate route and that sections of the Lachin Corridor, now monitored by Russian peacekeepers, should fall under its control is an excuse for Baku to launch a new round of fighting in the area.

“I must note that now there is no plan approved by Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in a tripartite format. We have made proposals several times and are still doing so. In other words, to approve a tripartite format plan. Note that the announcement is not about the construction of a new road, but about the construction plan and the redeployment of peacekeeping troops, which is a very complex and tripartite process. As of now, we have not agreed to any plan, because we have not been offered a draft of such a plan," said Pashinyan.

Pashinyan accused Baku of attempting to undermine the facts enshrined in the November 9 ceasefire agreement.

He said these include the existence of the Nagorno Karabakh (NK) entity, the existence of a contact line in NK, and the existence of the Lachin Corridor guaranteeing the connection between NK and Armenia.

Pashinyan said Armenia would be forced to seek “international mechanisms” to safeguard the above if Azerbaijan fails to respect its ceasefire obligations.

“In conclusion, I would like to say that although there are currently no active combat operations along the Nagorno-Karabakh contact line, the situation, according to the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, remains extremely tense. We should work towards easing that tension,” Pashinyan said.