During the session of the initiative group of the “Civil Contract” party in Gavar on January 13, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan addressed the statements made by Azerbaijan regarding Armenia’s army reforms and arms acquisition, among other issues. 

“On the one hand, Azerbaijan presents territorial demands to Armenia, and announces that it will strengthen its army, on the other hand, complains that Armenia is buying weapons from France and India. What is the logic here? Any country has the right to have an army, no one can question it,” Pashinyan outlined. He emphasized that concerns about armaments should be considered in the context of regional security. He noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan may be concerned about each other's armaments. Pashinyan stressed the importance of signing a peace agreement in a manner that prevents the possibility of future wars.

Armenian PM also remarked that upon reviewing Azerbaijan’s proposals for the peace treaty, he occasionally senses an intent to craft a document that legitimizes potential future wars. PM Pashinyan expressed that such an approach is illogical.

He mentioned that Armenia proposed withdrawing troops from the border outlined by the Alma Ata Declaration, but Azerbaijan declined. Additionally, Azerbaijan turned down Armenia’s suggestion to demilitarize the border zones.

“I can make another suggestion: let’s sign an arms control agreement so that Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a concrete agreement regarding arms and have the opportunity to monitor each other in terms of fulfilling these agreements. Of course, this is a new proposal, but if we sincerely want to move towards peace, all these issues can be addressed,” Pashinyan noted.

Armenian PM also addressed the issue of forming a “corridor” narrative regarding Armenia’s territory, emphasizing that it encroaches on the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“There is a topic of the Azerbaijan-Nakhijevan connection, and parallels are being drawn about ensuring that connection through the territory of Iran. To get out of the word games, we say that under the conditions that Iran provides the connection, we are ready for both the railway and the highway under the same conditions,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

Nikol Pashinyan pointed out that Azerbaijan has been discussing the “Zangezur Corridor” for three years, referencing the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020. He highlighted that the actions taken in Nagorno-Karabakh since September 2023 indicate that the document doesn’t seem to exist for two of the signatory parties. Pashinyan emphasized that the November 9 statement did not mention the corridor, nor did it contain provisions stating that Russia should ensure the security of the road passing through Armenia’s territory. He expressed concerns about the evolving corridor discourse initiated by Azerbaijan.

In this context, Nikol Pashinyan addressed Azerbaijan’s statements about needing unhindered movement, stating that Armenia does not oppose unhindered movement. However, he emphasized that unhindered movement should not imply a violation of legislation.

Armenian PM stressed the importance of practical steps based on mutually agreed-upon maps for addressing territorial adjustments, borders, and issues of enclaves and exclaves with Azerbaijan. He highlighted the commitment to recognizing each other’s territorial integrity based on the Alma-Ata Declaration.

“There is one way to adjust the territories: to politically base the maps expressing the provisions of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, go to see the reality on the ground, and match the realities to the maps. The opposite approach means creating a situation that will constantly lead to escalations, which can’t be a foundation for peace,” Pashayan added.