After each round of the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] talks, I share detailed information with most various government and political circles of Armenia. I also have always shown willingness to share that information with the parliamentary opposition, but the latter always refuses from such discussions; perhaps for obvious reasons, in order to create legends about "various conspiracy theories" and put them on the base of their activities. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Friday’s Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia.

"In particular, practically, before almost every foreign visit I have made since November 9, 2020, rumors have spread with all possible resources that I am going to sign a document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, by which Artsakh shall be handed over to Azerbaijan.

I responsibly say that during this period, at this moment, there has not been and is not any project or draft of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement that is on the [negotiating] table or in circulation.

As for handing over Artsakh, I have to apologize a thousand times and say that Artsakh is not a thing, it is not an object to hand over or not to hand over. Artsakh is, first of all, the people living there.

If we were to handover Artsakh after the 44-day war, we would not have spent tens of billions of drams to ensure the return of the people of Artsakh to their homes. The one who handed over Artsakh, on the contrary, would simply not launch anything after the war, and the handover of Artsakh would, in fact, have become a reality. On the contrary, we are making unprecedented amount investments in Artsakh because to keep Artsakh means to keep the people of Artsakh in Artsakh. To keep Armenia means to keep the people of Armenia in Armenia plus to return those who left, and that is not possible without peace," Pashinyan said.

Also, he noted that he rules out the signing of any document without a broad public discussion.

"I rule out that there will be a document more or less close to the signing, which will be signed without a broad public discussion, including with all segments of the Artsakh society. This is an iron guarantee that the fate of Artsakh cannot be decided behind the people's backs.

In this regard, the pessimists bring the example of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, which was signed without broad public discussion. This is a strange comparison because during the war a decision had to be made within hours, sometimes minutes, to save the lives of thousands of people of Artsakh, 25,000 soldiers, and to save Artsakh from the expulsion of Armenians, and comparisons are not appropriate. On the other hand, all our steps are aimed at not having to make a decision in such conditions," said the Prime Minister.