On 6 May, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the Q&A session of the National Assembly where he spoke about the recent statements made over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

“This whole settlement process is about whether our positions may be reproached. I have included two other important components – no solution may be practical if it is not acceptable for the peoples of Armenia and Karabakh. It is not my good will, but it was so from the beginning. But I have gone [further]: the solution that may theoretically be brought to life must be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan. As far as such a solution has not been formulated there may be no solution to the issue. The conflict will be settled only after the foreign minister and I see that there is a variant that may be discussed and is acceptable,” he stated.

Pashinyan also spoke vaguely about the possible subjects of negotiation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “We negotiate over what we consider necessary. Until everything is decided, nothing is decided. We negotiate within the authorities we have, and we will not be afraid while heading to talks neither from insiders nor the outsiders,” he added. He also spoke about Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, stating that he is “constructive and wants to resolve the issue, just as the mediators in the negotiations.” 

A parliamentarian from the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction Tigran Ulikhanyan asked Pashinyan to give a definite and clear-cut answer whether the phased option was being negotiated. “My answer is 'no but if this answer is not enough to reassure all those concerned with the fate of Karabakh, then other measures will have to be taken. Over the past 24 hours, I have reassured them a hundred times,” Pashinyan replied. 

Pashinyan also met in person with the head of the opposition Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan. Marukyan revealed to the media afterwards that the topic of discussion between him and Pashinyan were the internal political speculations on the Karabakh issue. “All the statements that are made publicly are what there are; there is nothing beyond that. The issue of Karabakh is the issue that we are all united in this respect,” Marukyan said, adding that he is not worried about the Karabakh issue.

On 21 April, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that there is currently a document on the table that provides a step-by-step solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Caucasus Watch reported). The spokesperson for Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Naghdalyan commented on the statement, saying that since 2018 Armenia has not been negotiating on a phased approach regarding the settlement. The Russian MFA in contrast argued that such a document exists. Marukyan stated that the Armenian government should clarify the issue after Lavrov’s statements (Caucasus Watch reported).