Karabakh's externally controlled elite is guilty of losing region – Pashinyan

Former leaders of Nagorno Karabakh were puppets in the hands of Russia and that is why Armenians lost Karabakh. This was stated by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking in the country's Parliament, Armenian media reports.

"The current Armenian government did everything to resolve the issue of Nagorno Karabakh's status in accordance with international norms, but the clerical-feudal elite of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, being influenced and instructed externally, did everything to prevent this from happening. The culmination was the forced resignation of Nagorno Karabakh President Araik Harutyunyan, which was celebrated by this very elite. Soon after that Armenians were forced to emigrate from Karabakh," he said.

According to him, even in September 2023, the Armenian government did not give up its position, but Armenians had to stay in Karabakh for that to happen.

"However, the clerical-feudal elite of Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, together with their patrons from the CSTO, closed the Karabakh issue in the hope that this would help them close the Armenian issue as well, installing a puppet government in Armenia and putting an end to Armenia's independence. It did not work and will not work," he noted.

He further stressed that the government will not allow the situation in Armenia to destabilize. "I want to emphasize the political will of the government that we will not allow the clerical-feudal elite of Nagorno Karabakh to try to use the NK people for their clan purposes."

It ought to  be added that in recent days a number of former mayors of Karabakh towns and villages have been arrested in Armenia. They are accused of provoking rallies and riots to overthrow the Pashinyan government.