The regular session of the Government was held under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. At the beginning of the session, the Prime Minister referred to the humanitarian crisis created in Nagorno-Karabakh due to Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor, the blockade of the transfer of humanitarian aid in Kornidzor to Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Azerbaijan's actions to abort the peace process.

In particular, the Prime Minister noted:

"Dear participants of the government session,
Dear people,

Under the conditions of the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, the 361 tons of humanitarian aid sent to Nagorno-Karabakh last week by the decision of the governmental working group of the Republic of Armenia to support the people of Nagorno-Karabakh continue to be located in the Kornidzor settlement of the Syunik Marz of the Republic of Armenia, near the entrance to the Lachin Corridor, because Azerbaijan, grossly violating the 2020 Point 6 of the tripartite statement of November 9 illegally blocks the entry of these humanitarian cargoes into Nagorno Karabakh. Let me remind you that the Armenian Government decided to send humanitarian cargo to Nagorno Karabakh after the International Committee of the Red Cross announced the impossibility of transporting humanitarian cargo to Nagorno Karabakh because Azerbaijan illegally obstructs these efforts.

Azerbaijan stubbornly insists that one reason for closing the Lachin Corridor on June 15 of this year, as it puts it, is the military provocation of the Armenian side. On that day, Azerbaijan tried to place a flag on the edge of the Hakar bridge in the territory of Armenia. It received legal opposition from the border guard troops of Armenia. The action mentioned above of Azerbaijan is a provocation, especially when the delimitation and demarcation works between the two countries are still beginning. Azerbaijan's practice of placing flags in various places voluntarily and often with the use of force is similar to border demarcation and, in general, an act of aborting the peace process.

The previous day, this was also seen in the interview by the President of Azerbaijan to Euronews. Declaring that Azerbaijan has no territorial demands from Armenia, the President of Azerbaijan says that the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan have not been determined. The 1991 Almaty Declaration defined the boundaries between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and this was reaffirmed by the results of the quadrilateral meeting in Prague on October 6, 2022, where the Almaty Declaration was accepted as the basis for the delimitation and demarcation of the borders between the two countries. Azerbaijan plans to sign a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the border fixed by the Almaty Declaration, with clauses that leave room for dispute. And later, in the demarcation and delimitation process, they put territorial claims on the Republic of Armenia. If the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are not determined, what territories does Azerbaijan raise in different parts of the wall? If such a question is raised, the edges have been determined, and Armenia's offer of a mirror withdrawal of troops from that borderline remains valid. And the boundary and distinction of the walls do not indicate the absence of a border. Still, the opposite is decided, namely, the process of re-establishing the administrative borders between Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union and their reflection on the land as a state border.

In that regard, I emphasize Armenia's commitment to each other, to the agreement to establish peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on the recognition of the territorial integrity of 86,600 and 29,800 square kilometers, respectively. We are waiting for the public reaffirmation of this agreement by Azerbaijan. I also emphasize that we can achieve long-term, stable, and lasting peace despite all the complications. I call on Azerbaijan to refrain from steps aimed at reducing that chance, such as the continuous torpedoing of the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue within the framework of the international mechanism, the illegal blocking of the corridor in Lachin, and the kidnapping of Vagif Khachatryan, a resident of Nagorno-Karabakh, who was being transferred to Yerevan by the Red Cross from the Lachin corridor at the beginning of the week. Releasing Vagif Khachatryan, other prisoners, hostages, and detainees would be an impressive signal of commitment to the peace agenda. As a step of commitment to the peace agenda, I also call not to block the entry of the humanitarian cargo sent by Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor, especially since obstructing the passage of the load in 2020 is a gross violation of the tripartite declaration of November 9 and the decisions of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 1.

On the other hand, after the statement made by the President of Azerbaijan in an interview with Euronews that the Lachin Corridor is not blocked, it is necessary to listen to the explanation of the peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation in Nagorno-Karabakh why they do not provide humanitarian aid to the Government of the Republic of Armenia access to Nagorno-Karabakh if Azerbaijan insists that it has not blocked the Lachin Corridor. Clarifying this issue is essential, and our relevant bodies should work towards getting clarifications on this issue.

Thank you."