Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a press conference on Tuesday.

After a long break, this press conference took place in an offline format when a journalist of the state-funded Public Television of Armenia read the preselected questions sent by the mass media.

Here are 5 most important quotes of Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan during the briefing:

‘Armenia will not host Russia-led military exercises this year.’

On January 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led alliance, would be holding the 2023 iteration of its annual flagship exercises, Unbreakable Brotherhood, in Armenia.

However, at a January 10 press conference, Pashinyan addressed the issue, and labeled the Russian plans a “misunderstanding.”

“I think there is a misunderstanding, since the Armenian Ministry of Defense has already informed, in writing, the joint staff of the CSTO, that conducting exercises in Armenia in the current situation would be inappropriate,” he said. “These drills in Armenia, at least this year, will not happen.”

Meanwhile, Russia was in the process of “clarifying” the announcement, said Dmitriy Peskov, spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This is a fairly new statement by the Prime Minister of Armenia. I think that the CSTO colleagues will be in touch, they will clarify the details of Armenia's position,” Peskov noted.

‘Does this whole situation in the region suggest that the CSTO intends to leave Armenia?’

In the press conference, Pashinyan was asked about Armenia leaving the CSTO, and he responded using a formulation he has used previously: “Can we say that Armenia will leave the CSTO? Maybe the CSTO will leave Armenia? Does this whole situation [in the region] suggest that the CSTO intends to leave Armenia?”

"We are guided by the state interests of Armenia. And after this, too, we will be guided by the interests of Armenia when adjusting, maintaining or changing our position on any issue," he added.

‘Armenia has not officially received a proposal from Russia to join the Union State and there couldn’t be one’

Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia has not received any official proposal from Russia to join the Union State.

“Armenia has not officially received a proposal from Russia to join the Union State and there couldn’t be one. But, unfortunately, the reality is not as simple as it could seem,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that the sovereignty, independence and statehood of the Republic of Armenia are absolute values. 

“Sometimes you have to look deeply, not so much into the text of the question, but into the context and global processes. For us, the sovereignty, independence and statehood of Armenia are an absolute value. We consider it our duty and responsibility to ensure the existence of our homeland,” Pashinyan noted.

‘Lachin corridor should be under the control of Russian peacekeepers’

Armenian PM reminded that under point 6 of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, Russia assumed real responsibilities regarding the Lachin corridor.

There is no mention of the Republic of Armenia in point 6. In this regard our actions should be fully legitimate,” the PM said. 

Nikol Pashinyan once again drew attention to the fact that the peacekeeping contingent of Russia should guarantee the normal functioning of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, which is closed now by Azerbaijanis. This leads to the complete blockade of Karabakh for almost a month.

The Armenian PM noted that no one disputes that the security of Nagorno-Karabakh is ensured today by Russian peacekeepers there.

"But we have the precedent of Parukh [village] events when Azerbaijanis entered the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers and we did not see any reaction to it. The Armenian citizens were captured in the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Khtsaberd [village]. Following the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the Lachin corridor, Armenian citizens who are not related to military actions were captured."

‘Azerbaijan will never recognize Armenia's territorial integrity’

The events on the Sotk-Khoznavar section, the encroachments of Azerbaijan in November 2021 and September 2022 give reason to believe that Azerbaijan will never recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia, but rather set a goal to carry out new encroachments against it, Armenian Prime Minister added.

He noted that Azerbaijan continues its aggressive policy towards Armenia.

The PM said that “when we talk about Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan considers this as an encroachment on the territorial integrity and sovereignty and “proof” that Armenia does not recognize and does not intend to recognize its territorial integrity.

“When we talk about Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan considers this as an encroachment on the territorial integrity and sovereignty and “proof” that Armenia does not recognize and does not intend to recognize its territorial integrity,” Pashinyan added.

“Developing this rhetoric, they say that if this is the case, then we do not recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia," Pashinyan added.

According to him, Azerbaijan believes that it has achieved military success and that it needs to be developed to get the maximum. “They believe that they should not make the mistake of the Armenian sides when they achieved a military victory in 1994, but there was no consistency in fixing the victory,” he concluded.