Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, in an interview with Public Television, expressed concern over CSTO’s response to Armenia’s security challenges. He mentioned that in November and December 2020, the Russian President announced that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan. Pashinyan learned about these announcements from the press and referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that Armenia, in essence, renounced Nagorno-Karabakh, acknowledging that Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan.

“And that statement, in my understanding, contradicted the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020. Next, in 2021, the events of Sotk-Khoznavar took place, Azerbaijan invaded the territory of the Republic of Armenia, we naturally appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Russian Federation on this issue; moreover, separately with the CSTO, we have another legal treaty base with Russia. Zero response occurred,” he said. 

Pashinyan drew attention to the events in Sotk-Khoznavar. He mentioned his resignation, the dissolution of the National Assembly, and the scheduling of parliamentary elections for June 2021. During this period, the Russian Foreign Minister visited Armenia, then Baku, and returned to Moscow. Pashinyan suggests that the Armenian government’s response to the events in Sotk-Khoznavar could have had significant consequences, potentially affecting the scheduled elections and even leading to the dissolution of Armenia.

He mentioned accusations of inadequate petitioning and a lack of reaction from the CSTO and Russia. Pashinyan argued that, even when the Armenian army fought in the events of November 2021, there was still no response from the CSTO and Russia. He highlighted a subsequent declaration signed between Russia and Azerbaijan in February 2022, where relations were elevated to a strategic level based on the recognition of each other's territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.

Nikol Pashinyan further highlighted the Parukh events in Nagorno-Karabakh, where there was allegedly no response from Russian peacekeepers. Pashinyan then pointed to developments in 2022, where the Russian foreign minister's special representative, Igor Khovaev, visited the region with proposals. Among these proposals was the suggestion to postpone the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Pashinyan, Armenia agreed to this proposal, and Khovaev presented the document in August, subsequently going to Baku to deliver it.

Pashinyan continued his account, stating that when Igor Khovaev was visiting the region on September 11 or 12, 2022, he went to Baku first. Despite previous agreements to accept proposals, Azerbaijan reportedly rejected the offer during this visit. Pashinyan claimed that Azerbaijan's official rejection occurred when Khovaev arrived in Yerevan. He alleged that Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia happened at this time, with no response from Russia or the CSTO despite official requests from Armenia.

He added: “And on October 6, 2022, based on the Almaty declaration, we record our readiness to go to peace with Azerbaijan. And we record that between Armenia and Azerbaijan, what Russia recorded between itself and Azerbaijan; that is, the reaffirmation of the provisions of the Almaty declaration took place. And that was the only way to reaffirm Armenia's territorial integrity. Was I able to describe the cause-and-effect relationships? That is, essentially, what was the problem in connection with the CSTO. They say: ‘Let us come, there be monitors.’ We say: ‘If monitors come, what should they do?’ There is no answer.”

Pashinyan also expressed frustration with the lack of a clear delineation of responsibilities and red lines within the CSTO, adding to the complexities of addressing security challenges in the region.

Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan responded to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s statements on Karabakh’s surrender to Azerbaijan. He accused Pashinyan of “lying” and attempting to evade responsibility for Azerbaijan’s takeover of Karabakh.

“All his statements and efforts to shift the blame onto others will only have a short-term effect. Pashinyan is well aware that he cannot get away with such things, and regardless of his will, the efforts of the state machine, and the propaganda ‘overdose,' one thing is certain: the day of reckoning will come," the deputy stated.