Pashinyan at PACE: No 'Zangezur Corridor,' No Refugee Return

During his speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and while answering questions from deputies, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a number of statements, clarifying Armenia's positions on the peace process, regional communications, and the problems of displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh. He categorically rejected the term "Zangezur corridor," considered the return of refugees unrealistic, and clarified the reasons for the ongoing discussions on constitutional amendments.

Responding to concerns that the constitutional amendments might be linked to the peace treaty, the Prime Minister of Armenia denied this connection. He emphasized that this is exclusively an internal issue for Armenia. "We are discussing the Constitution within the framework of our internal agenda, we are not discussing the issue of amendments, because there is no need for it in the context of the peace agreement," he said.

The Prime Minister reacted strongly to the use of the phrase "Zangezur corridor" by one of the PACE deputies, calling it illegitimate and a violation of Armenia's sovereignty. "You use the phrase 'Zangezur corridor,' but where did you get it from? There is no such phrase, it has not been and will not be in any document agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he stated.

Pashinyan stressed that only agreed-upon vocabulary should be used, such as TRIPP, which was mentioned in the Washington documents. He demanded a clarification of what is meant by "corridor" and to show it on a map. If it is about the sovereign territory of Armenia, then, according to the Prime Minister, no one has the right to give that territory a name that is not accepted by Armenia. "I strongly condemn your use of illegitimate vocabulary in this hall," Pashinyan emphasized.

Referring to the possibility of the return of forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, Nikol Pashinyan gave an unequivocal assessment, considering it unrealistic. He announced that the Armenian government has already started a housing program for them. "Our refugee compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh should be housed in Armenia. ... I say directly: I do not consider the return realistic," he stated.

Moreover, the Prime Minister warned that speculation on the topic of refugee return could endanger the peace process. "I consider the topic of the return of all refugees in this context dangerous for the peace process, because conflicts, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, started, it seems, with the raising of simple humanitarian issues, and grew into the long-term conflict known to all of us," he concluded, calling to avoid inciting new conflicts.