[Armenian News note: the below is translated from Armenian]
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that he would like to address the Azerbaijani people.
During a news conference aired by Public TV on 19 March, Pashinyan positively assessed his informal meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He said he positively assessed the idea of an upcoming meeting with Aliyev as well. He pointed to the importance of the constructive atmosphere at the meetings.
Pashinyan said his dialogue with Aliyev was important despite the fact that the two of them did not have a common vision of the conflict.
At the same time, Pashinyan reiterated that the leaders of both countries should reciprocally participate in the process of preparing the nations to peace. He claimed that he should take part in the process of preparing the Azerbaijani people for peace, and so should do the Azerbaijani leader with the people in Armenia.
"For instance, I am interested whether the Azerbaijani president has something to say to the Armenian and Karabakh people, directly talk to them? To tell the truth, I have much to say to the Azerbaijani community," he said.
Pashinyan stressed that he would be very satisfied if an opportunity was created within the framework of the negotiations process for them to speak to the other nation.
"I think I would like to talk and I would have something to say," he said, adding that he would not do it in unilateral format, however.
Time to stop swearing in social networks
Pashinyan also condemned the abusive language Armenians and Azerbaijanis use against each other on social networks.
"Is it not time to understand whether we have to anything to say to each other on the social networks except curses, or not? I would be very glad if, on social networks, people would discuss this issue, discuss what is going on," he said.
Pashinyan said that Armenians and Azerbaijanis had been cursing at one another for over 20 years already. He said it was time to stop and discuss more important things as the social networks could serve as a platform for discussion.
"One can try to understand what is going on in Azerbaijan, what is going on in Armenia, in Karabakh. One can understand how people perceive all this, what they think about this," he said.
Pashinyan said his thoughts were directed to both Armenian and Azerbaijani social media users. He said they can communicate just as the Armenian leaders and foreign ministers do.
