Pashinyan: “I made a mistake not to recognize Karabakh as belonging to Azerbaijan earlier”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made an open statement about the 44-day bloody clash between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020 – the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. According to him, war could have been prevented theoretically, but in practice, political conditions and internal resistance made it impossible. News.ham reported this.

Pashinyan emphasized that if the Armenian government had recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan at that time, it was likely that war would not have broken out. “In 2018-2019, I had the opportunity to make this decision, but I didn’t – it was a mistake. However, at that time, this was very difficult to achieve. “Because, as the first step, it was necessary to officially recognize that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, which would cause great contradictions within the country,” he said.

Pashinyan’s words sparked various debates in the country. While many supported him for honestly admitting his mistake, others assessed these words as contrary to Armenia’s interests

For information, the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh war lasted from September 27 to November 10, 2020. During the war, the Azerbaijani army reclaimed several previously lost territories and regained control over the mountainous region. This conflict subsequently affected the political balance in the Caspian region.

Experts emphasize that Pashinyan’s statement aligns with the Armenian government’s foreign policy course in recent years, reflecting the country’s new geopolitical course – balanced and practical diplomacy.

Armenian society still perceives the Nagorno-Karabakh issue as an unresolved national tragedy. According to Pashinyan, the most important task today is to learn from history and prevent new conflicts.