The meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State in Ashgabat was accompanied by an attempt by the Azerbaijani leader to accuse Armenia of glorifying fascism.

The Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, categorically stated that the installation of the Nzhdeh monument in Yerevan testifies to this. At the same time, Aliyev referred to the report of the Russian MFA.

In response, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan recalled that in reality Garegin Nzhdeh was an active participant in the fight against Turkish encroachments and was responsible in 1918 for an important part of the anti-Turkish front.

Speaking about the fate of Nzhdeh, Nikol Pashinyan recalled that he had died in the Vladimir prison. Many prominent Soviet figures died there. 

“I consider it inappropriate to use this format to distort history and introduce tension into the atmosphere of an important meeting. Armenia, our government, pays special attention to the problems of war veterans,” Pashinyan said, reporting that subsidies to all veterans of the Great Patriotic War have recently been increased. “This is a very important decision, and from the declaration that we intend to sign today, I want to single out paragraphs suggesting joint efforts aimed at strengthening international security against actions to form dividing lines and tension. We must do the best so that the tension between peoples and countries does not grow, but rather, seek a compromise for peace and trust,” Pashinyan said. 

According to him, Azerbaijani Presidents’ words are disrespectful, first and foremost, for the Armenian people, as well as for the heads of state participating in the meeting and the peoples they represent.