Nagorno-Karabakh Tensions: Armenian Prime Minister Calls for International Oversight and Negotiations
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Yerevan is ready to accept Azerbaijan’s sovereignty within its current borders, outlining a territorial scope of 86.6 thousand square kilometers that includes Nagorno-Karabakh. He emphasized the need to deploy an international delegation to Karabakh and to commence official negotiations, a stance he shared during a session at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, as reported by DEA News.
According to Pashinyan, with the mediation of the President of the European Council, both sides discussed accepting that Azerbaijan claims 86.6 thousand square kilometers while Armenia recognizes 29.8 thousand square kilometers of its own territory. He noted that the closure of the Lachin corridor has left the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, especially ethnic Armenians, isolated for months and facing a humanitarian crisis. He underscored the necessity of sending an international mission to assess rights violations and to document conditions on the ground, aiming to establish factual clarity before any further talks.
The Armenian leader urged a neutral international mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor to verify alleged violations and to provide an independent report on developments there. He argued that such a mission would create accountability and supply a solid factual basis for subsequent negotiations, helping both sides move toward durable solutions grounded in reality on the ground.
Moreover, Pashinyan stressed that negotiations should proceed under international auspices between Baku and Stepanakert to safeguard the security and rights of all communities in the region. He argued that ongoing dialogue, supported by credible international oversight, is essential for reducing tensions and preventing further humanitarian crises while ensuring that the rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh remain protected within an arrangement acceptable to all parties involved.
Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, is known by its Azerbaijani name Khankendi. It lies within internationally recognized Azerbaijani borders, but has been effectively governed by authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh. This dual status underscores the fragile political reality and the ongoing need for transparent international involvement to monitor developments and guide the process on the ground.
In related remarks, Dmitry Peskov, the former spokesperson for the President of Russia, suggested that Russia views the tripartite agreements as the sole viable pathway to resolve the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute. He asserted that these accords offer a structured framework for progress and a mechanism for ongoing diplomacy, rather than allowing a new approach to emerge from the current stalemate. Analysts observe that Moscow’s stance continues to shape regional dynamics, particularly in how international actors coordinate with Yerevan and Baku to manage tensions and foster stability in the South Caucasus. This interpretation is reinforced by the cited summary from Reykjavik and the context provided by DEA News.