Nagorno-Karabakh: Nikol Pachinian excludes any "diplomatic solution" to the conflict
Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian greets Armenian Army reservists in Yerevan on October 16, 2020. Tigran Mehrabyan, Armenian Prime Minister Press Service / PAN Phot
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Despite ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh through diplomacy, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has dampened hopes of a positive outcome to the conflict.
Publicity
Read more
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met in Brussels with the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell and the President of the European Council Charles Michel, as well as the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers will meet separately on Friday with US foreign minister Mike Pompeo.
But in a speech to the nation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian on Wednesday ruled out any “
diplomatic solution
” to the conflict.
Should this be seen as a response to the words of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev who, four days ago, called Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia in turn "
dogs, fascists and wild beasts
"?
On Facebook, Nikol Pachinian has in any case dampened the hopes of a positive outcome to the negotiations.
"
The question of Karabakh, at this time and for a long time to come, cannot have a diplomatic solution
," he said.
The head of the Armenian government even sounds the mobilization with a solemn appeal to all "
the leaders of towns, districts, villages, political parties, civil organizations, business circles to organize volunteer units
".
Baku takes over the field
This call for troops to fight alongside the Nagorno-Karabakh soldiers comes almost four weeks after the first.
Perhaps the sign that the losses are heavy on the front and that the Armenians are losing ground.
In four weeks of conflict, the Azerbaijani forces conquered territories lost in the 1990s. They are approaching mainly the road which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
An essential axis for the transport of weapons and soldiers.
On the strength of its progress on the ground, Baku insists on its demands and wants Nagorno-Karabakh in its fold, the total demilitarization of the area and even the return of the Azeri populations to the small enclave.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia
Azerbaijan
On the same subject
Nagorno-Karabakh: the laborious truce between Azerbaijan and Armenia
In Nagorno-Karabakh, the failure of the truce makes the aid to civilians "difficult"