YEREVAN. – In the Karabakh issue, we should raise the issue of de-occupation of the NKAO [i.e., Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast] territory not as a military, but as a political issue, as a negotiation issue. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday stated this at the National Assembly of Armenia while presenting the report on the implementation and results of the government program for 2020, referring to the matter of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict.

"We must continue to implement the ‘secession for salvation’ formula because you saw what events unrolled in Azerbaijan yesterday. It is an unimaginable thing, and we must draw everyone's attention from all the pulpits that a museum of war suffering and casualties can be opened in a country that is the biggest manifestation of Armenophobia, hatred. This is the greatest basis for us to show the international community the applicability of the principle of 'secession for salvation,' which should be at the core of our negotiation process," the Armenian PM added.

Also, Pashinyan stated that the security of Artsakh will continue to be carried out by the Artsakh Defense Army—together with the Russian peacekeeping forces—, and there will be no major changes in this regard.