Pashinyan: Today we demonstrated that language of force is unacceptable for us
He said that the attack of the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces is a direct aggression against sovereign territory of Armenia.
“As a result of aggressive actions launched on May 12 Azerbaijan has occupied 41 sq. km of sovereign territory of Armenia. In conditions of silence of our international partners Azerbaijan continues its aggressive actions. My assessment is unequivocal – Azerbaijan and the forces encouraging it target our sovereignty, statehood, independence. Today we had a hard day, we are living difficult times, but today we have also demonstrated that we are here, we do exist, and we are a state, a state nation and the language of force is unacceptable for us,” Pashinyan stated.
Armenian PM urged the international community to adopt targeted statements condemning Azerbaijan’s aggression.
“Talks about “border disputes” are absurd and meaningless. There is no border dispute here, there is an aggression against sovereign territory of Armenia. The borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are clear with the binding agreements adopted back during the Soviet Union,” he noted.
Pashinyan said that if it was about border dispute, Azerbaijan would have accepted long ago Armenia’s offer to withdraw forces to the border of Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan in a mirror way, deploy international observers and start demarcation and delimitation of borders.
“Azerbaijan, which does not accept the offer, is an aggressor state and should unequivocally withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia. The hopes of imposing own will on Armenia are futile. The government and people of Armenia are resolute and we will defend our sovereignty, territorial integrity, statehood and independence by all possible means,” Armenian PM said.
He stressed that Armenia continues to stress the need of peaceful resolution of the created situation and all the offers made previously are in force.
“We are committed to the provisions of the November 9 and January 11 trilateral statements,” he said.
Referring to the situation on the border, Nikol Pashinyan said that at this moment the situation is relatively calm but in general, it remains extremely tense.
Armenian PM also said that the Armed Forces of Armenia took counter-actions against the adversary harming its manpower and destroying at least 6 units of armored vehicles.
“There are casualties on the Armenian side, the clarified information about them will be provided,” Nikol Pashinyan said.