Deporting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Armenians from their homes is not the only goal of Azerbaijan. With these provocative actions, Azerbaijan also aims to disrupt the peace agenda, the peace negotiation process, and incite a new war in the region. This was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia.

"It is clear that we are all very emotional about the [Azerbaijani] closure of the Lachin corridor [that links Artsakh to Armenia] and the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. But I must again emphasize the need for restraint around this situation, and the exclusion of vocabulary and actions that contradict the peace agenda, even more so by the representatives of the state authorities.

We continue to be consistent in our efforts to promote the peace agenda, and it should not be possible to deviate us from this agenda by any provocation.

At the same time, it is necessary to continue our joint efforts. By ‘joint’ I mean the [Armenian] authorities, the opposition, political society, Armenia and [Armenian] diaspora individuals and organizations, towards focusing international attention on the encroachments upon the rights and safety of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh," said Pashinyan.

He thanked the countries and organizations that respond to the situation objectively and impartially, and relying on human rights and the international obligations assumed by the countries.

"In general, there is no alternative to the peaceful settlement of the existing problems in our region, and we will be guided by this logic, no matter how much we understand all the complications and difficulties," the Armenian premier emphasized.