Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of top news as of 12.04.22:

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan addressed the National Assembly today for about an hour while presenting the government's performance in 2021, most of which was about Artsakh, both before the events of the 44-day war, as well as the situation after the war and the future of Artsakh.

Pashinyan admitted his guilt and responsibility for both the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020 and defeat, but denied claims by the opposition that he’s handing over land to Azerbaijan.

The PM said he’s guilty of not telling the public in 2018-2019 that all of Armenia’s friends expected Armenia to return the seven Karabakh territories and to lower its stated position on Artsakh’s status.

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Pashinyan confessed that he should have told the public that the international community fully recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and expected Yerevan to do the same.

The Prime Minister admitted that he could have prevented the war, as a result of which we would have the same situation in terms of territory, but without casualties, the number of which, according to the data voiced out by Pashinyan, is 3,825.

The Armenian leader also noted that the international community speaks openly about the danger of Armenia being the only country in the world that does not recognize the territorial integrity of Turkey's ally Azerbaijan.

According to him, international partners, either directly or indirectly, using the language of diplomacy, make it clear that such a position of official Yerevan is a big threat not only for Karabakh, but also for Armenia itself.

Pashinyan reflected on the trilateral meeting held in Brussels on April 6, noting that as a result of that meeting, he agreed that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan shall begin preparations for a peace agreement between the two countries.

The Prime Minister said that Azerbaijan, however, might try to derail the peace process and use the occasion to launch further aggression against Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan also noted that Baku might use the border delimitation process to make territorial claims against Armenia.

That’s why Armenia agreed in Brussels to set up an Armenia-Azerbaijan bilateral commission on border security by the end of April, the PM added.

Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh did not allow a group of Armenian MPs to enter Nagorno-Karabakh.

On Tuesday, Seyran Ohanyan, the leader of the Armenia opposition bloc, placed the flag of Artsakh in the National Assembly during his speech, saying that the faction will not participate in the parliament session and will visit Artsakh, as he believes that Artsakh is in danger. After Ohanyan's statement, the I Have Honor faction joined the initiative.

However, later parliament vice-speaker Ishkhan Saghatelyan reported that opposition MPs were not allowed to Artsakh.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement expressing concern over the incident.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, claimed the incident is ‘puzzling’.

The United States stands ready to engage in peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan bilaterally, the US Embassy in Armenia noted in a statement.

Its remarks came after Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said the US and French sides are going to annul their OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship amid ‘Russophobia’ issues.

However, the US embassy noted that they continue to encourage further peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan and reiterate the US stands ready to engage bilaterally and with like-minded partners, including through their role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, to help the countries find a long-term comprehensive peace.

The second meeting of the regional platform in the "3+3" format which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Russia and Iran will be held soon, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

"We have plans regarding the agenda for the second meeting in the "3+3" format. The meeting should take place in the near future, there is no time to lose," Aliyev said.

According to him, specific results should be achieved within the framework of this platform, otherwise "it will lose its significance".

Over the past 24 hours there was one violation of ceasefire near the village of Paruh by the Azerbaijani armed forces, as a result of which one soldier of the Defense Army of Artsakh was wounded.

Peacekeepers' command, in cooperation with representatives of both sides, settled the incident.

Russian peacekeepers conducted patrols along four routes in the Askeran, Martakert, Martuni, and Lachin corridor.

The World Bank predicts that economic growth in Armenia in 2022 will decrease to 1.2% instead of the previously expected 4.8%.

Also, the country’s private consumption will decrease by 1.3%, investments will reduce by 0.9%, exports will fall by 8.5%, imports will fall by 12.0%, inflation will be 9.8%, the ratio of public debt in the GDP will be 66.9%, and the poverty rate will be 39.6%.

The latest images from Maxar, which has been tracking the conflict from its satellites, seems to show Russian troops being prepared for redeployment into eastern Ukraine.

Meanhile, overnight, US President Joe Biden was forthright in his comments on Russia, calling its activity in Ukraine "genocide".

However, French president Emmanuel Macron, who has been a major player in trying to coax Vladimir Putin to pull out of Ukraine, has refused to accept the term.

Macron is currently shifting focus to his upcoming election battle with Marine Le Pen, who has taken advantage of her opponent's work on Russia to shift higher up the polls.

Meanwhile, ahead of face-to-face meetings with European leaders in Kyiv, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Estonia's parliament.

In his virtual address, he once more claimed Russia is using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine, adding "this is clear terror against the civilian population".

Zelenskyy also said sanctions on Russia should continue, and reiterated his calls for Ukraine to get EU candidate status.