Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has strongly criticised the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh for their alleged claims that he might agree to territorial concessions when negotiating for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, News.am said on 5 June.
On 20 May, Pashinyan said that certain forces in Karabakh were plotting treacherous acts and “carrying out false propaganda against the Armenian government and personally the prime minister”. He said that everything pointed to a far-reaching aim to provoke a war, cede some territories and shift the responsibility onto the Armenian government.
Earlier, after visiting Karabakh on 9 May, Pashinyan said in a Facebook post that “should anyone attempt to make Artsakh [Karabakh] a hotbed of counterrevolution, the people in Artsakh will turn it into a hotbed of revolution”.
Karabakh leadership ‘unaware’ of talks
Pashinyan claimed that unlike his government, Armenia’s former authorities never presented details about the negotiations to the Karabakh leadership, News.am said.
“I was the one who passed documents regarding the Karabakh negotiation process to the Karabakh authorities. They did not know what had been negotiated before me,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying.
Pashinyan said he had had several meetings with the military-political leaderships of Karabakh and Armenia and presented his vision of the settlement, which everyone agreed with. He said however that people present at those meetings subsequently alleged – through their aides on social networks – that he was going “to sell lands”. He said that this raised the question of their motivation.
Pashinyan, however, refused to give names. Asked whether the risk of conspiracy still existed Pashinyan said that the risks were being managed and would be eradicated.
Steps to undermine unity ‘inadmissible’
Karabakh leader Bako Sahakyan denied Pashinyan’s claims that they were unaware of the negotiating process.
In an interview to Artsakhpress, Sahakyan said that both current and past Armenian governments had always informed them about the discussed issues and latest developments. He admitted receiving documents regarding Karabakh peace talks from Pashinyan recently but said they had also given him their package of documents.
Sahakyan said that the restoration of the full format of negotiations with Karabakh’s direct participation in them was “the best and perhaps the only opportunity” to disallow speculations.
Speaking about alleged conspiracy risks, Sahakyan said that the conspirators, if they existed, would be punished if there was concrete evidence against them.
“One of our most important achievements is our unity, and I find inadmissible any step aimed at undermining it, whether it is taken in Artsakh [Karabakh], Armenia or the Diaspora. I find any conspiratorial behaviour unacceptable. If there are suspicions, distrust towards a particular practice, individual or official, I find it important to discuss those issues and reach a common denominator in an atmosphere of mutual respect. We have one homeland and it is a duty of all of us to do our best to protect its unity,” Sahakyan was quoted as saying.
‘Mean manipulations’
Spokesman for the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Eduard Sharmazanov described Pashinyan’s claims as “mean manipulations” and called on him to be careful as his statements were being followed not only in Armenia but also outside it.
Sharmazanov denied Pashinyan’s remarks that the Karabakh authorities were unaware of the negotiation process. He said that the Karabakh leadership had often held talks with the Armenian leaders and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen to discuss the process of talks.
Sharmazanov said that any “buffoonery” had limits and criticised Pashinyan for reducing everything to Facebook gossip.
RPA deputy chairman Armen Ashotyan claimed that Pashinyan had lost links with the reality both inside and outside the country.
Ashotyan said he was very concerned for the country, for the people and “for the man who seized power in the country”.
“What can we do so he will, at the very least, not speak about Artsakh and not deal with the Artsakh issue?” Ashotyan said.