The fact of our four casualties as a result of the Azerbaijani provocation in Artsakh can be linked, also cannot be linked with the peace talks that started in Washington. Ruben Rubinyan, deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, stated this on the air of RFE/RL Armenian Service, referring to the remark that the Azerbaijani provocation Wednesday is taking place amid the aforesaid Washington talks between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to him, it is not important amid what the events in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) are taking place.

"It is important the fact that Azerbaijan continues its aggressive behavior and continues its policy aimed at subjecting the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to [Armenian] ethnic cleansing, blocking the Lachin corridor, disrupting electricity and [natural] gas supply, and such attacks," Rubinyan said.

He touched also on the question of what function the Russian peacekeepers stationed in Artsakh perform in the case when the Azerbaijani side even uses drones and artillery weapons there. In response, Rubinyan said that this question is legitimate, and the Armenian government also constantly raises this question.

"As a matter of fact, the Russian peacekeeping contingent [in Artsakh] fails to ensure the full implementation of the points stipulated in the November 9[, 2020] statement. Naturally, this does not mean that the Russian peacekeepers do not succeed in ensuring anything; however, not much is succeeding. We continuously raise this issue in order to ensure what is specified—including the ceasefire, including the uninterrupted operation of the Lachin corridor under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent," added the vice-speaker of the Armenian parliament.