Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in the regular session of the CIS Heads of State Council in Kazakhstan, Astana.

First, the ceremonial video recording ceremony of the CIS leaders took place, then the remote session, during which Nikol Pashinyan made a speech.

In his speech, the Prime Minister, in particular, noted:

"Dear heads of state,

Before moving on to the agenda of the CIS Heads of State Council meeting, I would like to thank Kasim-Jomart Tokaev and our Kazakh friends for organizing today's event at a high level and congratulate them on their effective presidency in the CIS and the successful implementation of the priorities of Kazakhstan's presidency.

Also, I sincerely wish success and practical work to the Kyrgyz colleagues within the framework of the future president of the CIS.

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, we are working towards normalizing our relations with Azerbaijan. I consider it necessary to mention the importance of the role of the CIS in this context. The work of border demarcation and border security commissions is essential in the settlement process, the formation of which was agreed upon on November 26, 2021, during the tripartite meeting of the President of Russia, the President of Azerbaijan, and the Prime Minister of Armenia in Sochi.

Through the mediation of the President of France and the President of the European Council, as a result of our meeting with the President of Azerbaijan held in Prague on October 6, an agreement was reached that in the delimitation process, we will rely on the fundamental documents of the CIS, according to which the former administrative borders of the Soviet republics have become independent countries, including State borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

I want to draw your attention to the fact that the above is also an essential factor in today's plan because we are also discussing the issue of applying the CIS to obtain observer status in the CSTO.

Before deciding, I consider it essential to focus on the following issues.

Does the CSTO recognize the state borders of the CIS countries established in 1991 as essential documents of the CIS? This is an important question because it is about the area of ​​responsibility of the CSTO and, let me say, the organization's functionality. If we rely on comments that there are no borders between the CIS countries because these borders are not demarcated, it means that the zone of responsibility of the CSTO is not determined; that is, it does not exist. And that blurs the CSTO's functionality.

It is also essential to answer the following question: do the CIS member states recognize the borders established in 1991 as crucial documents of the CIS? A positive answer to this question is significant for stability and security in the CIS area.

Without a precise clarification of these issues, I consider it premature to decide on the request of the CIS to obtain observer status in the CSTO.
These issues have become particularly acute for us due to Azerbaijan's recent military aggression against Armenia.

On September 13, Azerbaijan launched unprovoked military aggression against Armenia. Using heavy artillery, rocket launchers, and combat drones, the Azerbaijani military shelled 36 settlements and communities of the sovereign territory of Armenia, including the cities of Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis, Kapan, and Geghamasar settlement. I would like to clearly state that this was not a border conflict or clash but a direct, undeniable attack against Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This aggression of Azerbaijan was discussed in the UN Security Council, the majority of whose members condemned Azerbaijan's illegal military operations. The international community also condemned the attack.

The Azerbaijani attack was deliberately directed against the civilian population and vital civil infrastructures. The total number of temporarily displaced persons from the Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik regions of Armenia was more than 7,600 people, primarily women, and older adults, as well as 1,437 children and 99 disabled people.

About 192 residential buildings, three hotels, two schools, and one medical facility were partially or wholly destroyed. 7 electricity supply facilities, five water supply facilities, three gas pipelines, and one bridge were damaged. 2 ambulances and four private cars were shot at. The Kechut reservoir was also shelled.

The number of victims and missing persons due to aggression has now exceeded 210, of which three civilians were killed and two are missing. Two hundred ninety-three servicemen and eight civilians were injured. The number of missing soldiers is 28. The Azerbaijani side distributed shocking videos of torture, mutilation of the bodies of captured persons or already dead soldiers, numerous cases of extrajudicial reprisals, and cruel treatment of Armenian prisoners of war, murders, and as humiliating treatment of the bodies of the deceased. 

The bodies of Armenian female servicemen were mutilated with particular brutality and then "proudly" filmed by Azerbaijani soldiers. Videos of these apparent war crimes and crimes against humanity are being shared and praised by several Azerbaijani social media users.

Undoubtedly, the implementation of such indescribable atrocities is a direct consequence of the long-term policy of instilling Armenian hatred and hostility in Azerbaijani society by the political leadership.

After this attack, the rhetoric of official Baku and other Azerbaijani sources shows that Azerbaijan intends to occupy more territories of Armenia, which must be prevented.

I want to emphasize that the risk of new aggression by Azerbaijan remains very high, especially considering that Azerbaijan continues to consistently violate the ceasefire regime, trying to attribute its provocative actions to the Armenian side. Another factor of further escalation may be the inadequate response of the regional security organizations to the situation, which has caused very pointed questions in Armenian society.

Co-workers,

Since the signing of the tripartite statement on November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan has constantly abused the issue of repatriation of prisoners of war to achieve political interests.

In the post-war period, Azerbaijan linked the release of prisoners with the provision of maps of minefields, although the obligation arising from the tripartite declaration consisted of the immediate exchange of all prisoners. Armenia provided Azerbaijan with all its minefield maps, but it was a gesture on our part. After receiving all minefield maps, Azerbaijan stated that the accuracy of these maps is only 25%. Armenia has expressed readiness to verify this statement with the involvement of international experts. On the other hand, even if this claim is valid, the Republic of Armenia has given all of its maps to Azerbaijan and has no "better or more accurate" maps left behind.

Now, after receiving the maps, Azerbaijan is trying to condition the return of prisoners of war, captives, and other detained persons with the clarification of the fate of those missing as a result of the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. I want to mention that there were also missing persons from the Armenian side after the first and second Artsakh wars. Seven hundred seventy-seven people are considered missing after the first war, and 217 people are considered missing from the second war, of which 196 are military personnel and 21 are civilians. During our meetings earlier this year, Armenia expressed its willingness to fully cooperate in the entire spectrum of the missing person issue and has already unilaterally handed over several maps of graves and, after the 44-day war, the remains of hundreds of victims of the first Nagorno Karabakh war.

Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side, which for 30 years rejected offers of cooperation in the field of demining or any other humanitarian activities, remembered about its missing citizens or mines only after the aggression against Nagorno Karabakh and after the whole civilized world started talking about the military actions carried out by the Azerbaijani military. About crimes or Armenian prisoners of war held illegally in Azerbaijan. This fact alone clearly shows Azerbaijan's true intentions without delving into the details.

In this context, I would like to emphasize that until now, Azerbaijan is preventing the removal of the bodies of those who died during the latest aggression, and the remains of several of our boys continue to be found in inter-positional zones, which are located in the sovereign territory of Armenia. There is an agreement to organize the removal of the bodies in the next few days. I hope that this agreement will be fulfilled.

D

Dear Colleagues.

In the context of the unblocking of all regional communications, Azerbaijan's constant circulation of the "corridor topic" is nothing but distortion and sabotage of the implementation of the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020.

I want to emphasize that the word "corridor" is not mentioned anywhere and in any way in point 9 of this statement. Given November 9, 2020, the word corridor is used only in connection with the Lachin corridor to ensure the security of Nagorno-Karabakh. It has nothing to do with the topic of unblocking transport links. We consider any parallels between these arrangements to be manipulative.

Unfortunately, manipulation of the text of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, has become Azerbaijan's policy. This is also expressed by the fact that even though the report clearly states the existence of Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan claims that Nagorno Karabakh exists. Does not have

As for the implementation of point 9 of the tripartite declaration, this issue is fully clarified in Moscow's following triple statement of January 11, 2021. Moreover, the trilateral working group, co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation, decided that the transport infrastructures being restored and built should operate under the full sovereignty of the countries through whose territory they pass.

I officially announce that we are ready to open the roads as soon as possible. Moreover, the draft decision of the RA government to open three checkpoints to ensure the transport connection between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan has been in official circulation for a long time. Still, the president of Azerbaijan himself is against such a decision. And it is connected with Azerbaijan's desire to unblock channels and isolate the movement of people, goods, and transport as much as possible, which proves that they are not interested in the logic of establishing stable peace in the region.

As for the construction of new transport communications, we are ready for it according to the principles mentioned above. It is hindered by the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan and the manipulation of the text of the tripartite declarations.

Azerbaijan is trying to create the impression that the construction of new roads is the responsibility of Armenia. Still, the tripartite statement says that the parties must agree on this issue. And we are ready for such an agreement. Moreover, we are interested in it, and the only thing we expect from Azerbaijan in this matter is constructiveness.

I also want to respond to some statements of the President of Azerbaijan. As for mining, it takes place entirely within the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. And it is our right to take some security steps to protect the territorial integrity of our country.

I also want to say that attempts to give a religious context to this situation are unacceptable. We are in very close relations with many Muslim countries, and it is clear proof that most of our allies in the CSTO are Muslim. We have amicable and close ties with Iran and many Arab states, and the Nagorno-Karabakh problem has never had a religious basis.

I am surprised by the statements of the President of Azerbaijan that Armenia has organized attacks against Azerbaijani embassies in European countries and the United States of America. They are entirely baseless statements, and I think it is obvious that if there were such facts, Azerbaijan would have published them long ago.

I want to say that Armenia sincerely aims for peace in the region. Of course, this is not a simple issue, it is a profound issue, but it seemed to me that, through the results of several meetings we had with the mediation of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimir Putin, and other international leaders, we have a common understanding that we should strive and undertake concrete steps to establish peace and stability in our region. Efforts are needed for this, and the Republic of Armenia, I think we have shown our government is ready for such actions. I want to say once again that the only expectation from Azerbaijan in that process is constructiveness.

Thank you."

The leaders of the CIS countries signed the protocols of the adopted decisions at the extended session.