Pashinyan says he is ready to sign document on extending Russian peacekeepers' mandate in Artsakh for 10-20 years

Speaking at a gathering of the ruling Civil Contract party today, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was ready to sign a document (based on Russian proposals) on extending the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), when he meets with Russian and Azerbaijani leaders in the Russian city of Sochi on October 31.

YEREVAN, October 29. /ARKA/. Speaking at a gathering of the ruling Civil Contract party today, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was ready to sign a document (based on Russian proposals) on extending the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), when he meets with Russian and Azerbaijani leaders in the Russian city of Sochi on October 31.

"I officially declare that I am ready to sign in Sochi a document on unconditional extension of the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh for 10, 15, 20 years. I propose that the President of Russia make such a proposal; I will make such a proposal if necessary, but Russia must support this proposal because I cannot decide for Russian peacekeepers to stay there for any period of time. This is a trilateral paper, and if Russia and Armenia agree on it, they will be in the majority," he said.

At the same time, Pashinyan stressed that Azerbaijan failed to respect the commitment to withdraw its from the Russian peacekeepers' zone of responsibility in Artsakh, particularly, from near the village of Parukh.

"These questions must be voiced (at October 31 meeting): whether Russia is clearly complying with its proposals or not," he said.

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and  phosphorus weapons.

After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia. 

A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. -0-