My Proposal to Extend Peacekeepers' Mandate Was Not Accepted: Nikol Pashinyan

“During the trilateral negotiations in Sochi, I proposed to extend the mandate of the Russian peacekeepers stationed in Artsakh for an indefinite period, be it 20, 15, or 5 years. I must say the proposal was not accepted, but in my understanding, the issue became a part of the agenda,” said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the discussion of the 2023 budget draft in the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister also added: “You are aware that there is a discussion about a Russian and a non-Russian concept; an effort was made to create the impression that the actions of the Government of the Republic of Armenia contradict the so-called Russian concept. This is certainly not the case. I can explain why. I personally could not disclose this earlier, as it would have been somewhat of an ethical violation. But since the authors of the concepts have somewhat revealed the nuance, I can address the issue from that perspective. You are aware that our Russian partners have stated that they believe the correct approach would be to postpone the status issue of Nagorno-Karabakh indefinitely. On what basis is this justified? It is justified by the fact that there is objectively no opportunity at this moment to find a status that would be mutually acceptable. Moreover, it should be acknowledged that this is not a new situation, but nevertheless. To what extent does the political strategy of the Government of the Republic of Armenia correspond to this vision? I must say it corresponds fully and 100 percent.”