Pashinyan: We must be ready for war

Photo: EPA

Russia is able to prevent the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinian said on 25 July, the radio station “Echo of Moscow”.

“Now in our region is very tense situation. I was referring to the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan. And there is a very high probability of war. …We have to be ready for war. …I and all Armenians and all people in Armenia believe that Russia has all means to prevent a new round of escalation in our region and to hold Azerbaijan attacks on Armenia and Karabakh,” he said.

According to Pashinian, we are talking about political, geopolitical, economic and “pure influence of Russia, possible Russian influence” on the region.

“I can’t believe that our strategic partner, our centuries-old brother and our age old friend make a war,” – said the Prime Minister of Armenia.

In 1991 with support from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan. This led to the fighting, which lasted until 1994. The armed conflict ended with the signing of the Bishkek Protocol on ceasefire and a ceasefire, but from time to time between the parties there are armed clashes. During the conflict in the region killed more than 30 thousand people.

Azerbaijan considers Nagorno-Karabakh to the Armenian-occupied territory.

In February 2018, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that Armenia “has become a hostage of its aggressive policy”. According to him, the strategic goal of Azerbaijan is not only the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the return to Erivan (as in Azerbaijan called Armenia’s capital Yerevan).