The statements by the president of Azerbaijan about the Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) grossly violate at least three of the statements made in the tripartite format on November 9, 2020. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the Armenian government—and referring to the statements made by Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday.

"The tripartite statement of November 9, 2020 notes that the [Russian] peacekeepers are deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh for a five-year period, with the automatic extension of successive five-year periods. This essentially means that the peacekeepers are deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh indefinitely—until all the issues related to the rights and safety of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians are addressed and all safety concerns of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians are dispelled," Pashinyan said.

He emphasized that with the tripartite statements of November 26, 2021 and October 31, 2022, the president of Azerbaijan himself acknowledged the cornerstone and important contribution of these Russian peacekeepers in ensuring security and stability in the area of their deployment.

"Furthermore, he [i.e., Aliyev] has recognized the need for further efforts of peacekeepers in the stability of the situation in the region. By signing under the two Sochi statements and making these protocols, without clear international guarantees of ensuring the safety and rights of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, developing the talk of withdrawing the peacekeepers is not only a violation of the tripartite statement, but also a preparation for the genocide of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians," said Nikol Pashinyan.