The Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden (UAAS) strongly condemns Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement of May 22 in which he announced Armenia’s readiness to recognize Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as part of Azerbaijan. UAAS noted this in a statement. The latter continues as follows:

“The [aforesaid] statement [by Pashinyan] clearly contradicts with the international principle of people’s right to self-determination and the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status.

“The [aforesaid] statement [by Pashinyan] also contradicts with Artsakh’s state independence declaration expressed at the Republican referendum on December 10, 1991. The status of Artsakh has already been determined by the will of the people and has been reaffirmed by the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh several times since then. The latest reaffirmation was made on the same day immediately after Nikol Pashinyan’s statement.

“Furthermore, any stable and long-lasting solution for the people of Artsakh must be supported by all parties involved in the conflict. UAAS believes that the stated solution by Armenia’s Prime Minister will not lead to peace in Artsakh since it is not what the people of the Republic are willing to accept. On the contrary, the solution if implemented endangers the security of people in Artsakh and might reintroduce similar conditions that sparked off the conflict in the early [19]90’s after dissolution of Soviet Union.”