Inal Ardzinba, occupied Abkhazia’s top diplomat, has expressed concern over the recent statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in which he indicated Armenia’s readiness to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.
Ardzinba described Pashinyan’s statement as a significant departure from previous positions and highlighted its contradiction with a resolution adopted by the Supreme Council of Armenia in 1992. Inal Ardzinba said: “Only a couple of years ago we couldn’t have imagined that the Prime Minister of Armenia would make such a statement. Moreover, in 1992 the Supreme Council of Armenia adopted a resolution that strictly forbids execution, on the territory of Armenia, of any normative legal act, whether internal or interstate, recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan. Pashinyan’s statement contradicts this resolution, which is quite unprecedented”.
Ardzinba went on to emphasize the geopolitical dynamics at play and the potential consequences of Pashinyan’s statement. He stated: “We are living in an era of very rigid geopolitics. What happened to Nagorno-Karabakh is the result of a geopolitical consensus… and the consequences of which can be quite tragic. What happened to Nagorno Karabakh is a tragedy, if we recall how many human lives have been lost, and what has been the result of this.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on May 22 that Armenia is ready to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh, after receiving guarantees for the security and protection of the rights of its people. This statement has caused dissatisfaction among the Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh population.