The status of Karabakh is not a goal, but a means to ensure the security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this Wednesday speaking in parliament during the debates on the implementation of the 2021 state budget of Armenia.

According to him, if earlier in the negotiations the concept of the Armenian side was based on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, from which the security rights and guarantees of the people of Karabakh were derived, now this basis is their rights and security, from which the status now derives.

"We record that in this situation the status is not a goal, but a means. It must ensure the rights, freedoms, and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh; this is a very understandable attitude for the international community.

"But there is also a very important record: any status that truly guarantees the security, rights, and freedoms of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be considered a real solution for us," Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister added that today Armenia is trying to establish full peace with its neighbors and establish stability in the region.