If we had those guarantees, there would be no discussion about addressing the security and rights of [Artsakh] Nagorno Karabakh Armenians, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the journalist of La Repubblica newspaper when asked what guarantees there were that Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh will be treated as full-fledged citizens of Azerbaijan, since Azerbaijan’s statements against Armenians may raise concerns on this issue. 

“If we raise this issue and we are talking today about humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh in the conditions of unlawful blockade of the Lachin Corridor, it means that those guarantees are absent. The entire process, both the absence of those guarantees and the problem that you just referred to are the reasons behind the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which at the same time, impede the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Exactly the absence of these guarantees, which are proved by the current situation, is the reason that Azerbaijan is carrying out ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh, and this is the reason we say dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert within international mechanisms is needed. Why? Exactly because of what you said, the absence of the guarantees. We believe that the issues of rights and security of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, whatever is agreed in the sidelines of this dialogue, should have certain mechanisms of guarantees, including international ones. That’s just the issue. Had the guarantees you mentioned exist, there would be no conflict. It’s exactly the absence of the guarantees you referred that cause the current situation, the situation of yesterday, the situation of 5 years ago, the situation of 10 years ago, the situation of 20 years ago,” he said.