Armenia took the decision to recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity in order to protect its own territorial integrity. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during Wednesday’s National Assembly-government question-and-answer session.

Speaking on the Almaty declaration, Pashinyan said that it is the international certificate of independence of the Republic of Armenia.

According to him, an agreement was reached that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the Almaty declaration.

He noted that in the strategic declaration with Azerbaijan, Russia accepted the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

“On October 6 [last year], it was agreed that Armenia and Azerbaijan would agree to accept each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the protocol of the Almaty declaration. Armenia took that decision in order to protect its own territorial integrity because in the situation when Azerbaijan attacks the territory of Armenia and occupies territories while Armenia's allies are silent and do not react, Armenia was obliged to come to that agreement on October 6 to record its own sovereignty and territorial integrity. Those who say that this is a wrong decision, they say that Armenia should not be a sovereign state," Pashinyan said.