Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rules out concessions from Armenia’s sovereign territory. Pashinyan made his respective assurances at Thursday’s press briefing.

Commenting on the concerns in this regard, Pashinyan stated: “If they mean [Nagorno-]Karabakh, then I am proud that I have brought Armenia and the Armenian people out of that trap.”

Responding to the question of whether he is going to hand over the “enclaves” to Azerbaijan before or after the liberation of the territories of Armenia occupied by Azerbaijan, Pashinyan did not give a direct answer. Instead, he first started talking about the fact that he did not talk about the return of the enclaves at all, but only mentioned the name “Kyarki”—i.e. Tigranashen village, noted the absence of three enclaves within the internationally recognized territory of Armenia, and the presence of Artsvashen village. According to him, not recognizing it means indirectly declaring war on Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan assured that he is not a masochist at all and is acting in this way solely to neutralize the threat, since there are external and internal forces that want to destroy the established peace. The topic of enclaves, Pashinyan continued, was the last topic containing the “nerve” of the collapse of peace, and he removed that “nerve.”

“If we [i.e. Armenia] do not say ‘Kyarki,’ it will turn out that we will give up the territories of Jermuk [city]. In that case, the logic will work that whoever has captured what, it is also his. The topic of enclaves and exclaves was the last one on which a plan to hinder peace could be built,” Pashinyan said, adding that this topic is not being discussed with Azerbaijan, and the matters are being dealt with by the border delimitation commission, the charter of which has been ratified by Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan categorically disagreed with the assertion that the transfer of territories to Azerbaijan would disrupt communication between Armenia’s provinces, as evidenced by the example of Kirants village, according to him.

 “There are no discussions. There was an exchange of opinions, [border] delimitation scenarios. We will solve the problem that worries many, and it will be solved in the best way. One needs to sit down calmly and discuss all the issues,” the Armenian prime minister said.

In his words, the transfer of territories should not be accompanied by the migration of people.