Pashinyan: Armenia does not send military equipment to Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN, March 30. /ARKA/. Armenia does not send military equipment to Nagorno-Karabakh and has no armed forces there, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government meeting on Thursday.

"Reports alleging that Armenia sends military equipment to Nagorno-Karabakh is a propaganda lie whose purpose is to create legitimacy for a possible escalation," he said.

Pashinyan stressed that a proposal to send an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh for verification was rejected by Azerbaijan on Oct. 6, 2022 in Prague.

"But this proposal stands. There is a need to finally clarify this issue at the international level, and the means of this is to involve a fact-finding mission in the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.

The Prime Minister noted that Nagorno-Karabakh has its own Defense Army, the existence of which is explained by Azerbaijan's obvious preparations for the genocide of the Karabakh Armenians.

"We must consistently inform the international community about this and work to engage relevant international mechanisms," he said. 

Pashinyan said also that Armenia remains committed to the peace agenda despite emerging difficulties.

"Despite all the difficulties, the Armenian government has tirelessly reaffirmed its commitment to the peace agenda. We hope there will be concrete progress in the Stepanakert-Baku and Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiation formats in the near future," he said.

The premier noted that Armenia is ready for such work and hopes that both sides will have the same spirit in the Stepanakert-Baku format.

"It is clear that in this context the involvement of relevant  international mechanisms and guarantees is extremely important," he said. -0-