Lavrov: Claims that Putin forced Pashinyan to give Karabakh to  Azerbaijan are lies

ArmInfo. The decision for Nagorno-Karabakh to become part of Azerbaijan was made with the  direct participation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on October 2 in a conversation with journalists following the results of the 20th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, recalling that he himself spoke about this several times, and Russian President  Vladimir Putin spoke about this.

" Statements by figures in Yerevan that by signing an agreement to  end the war in November 2020, Putin forced Pashinyan to give Karabakh  to Azerbaijan is a lie. In this agreement dated November 10, 2020, it  was noted that Karabakh is the area of responsibility of the Russian  peacekeeping contingent. And there was a common understanding that  the dialogue on the final status of Karabakh will continue," Lavrov  said.

"But when a year later, or 1.5 years - at some regular European  summit in Prague, Pashinyan signed a document that states that  Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other within the borders of  1991, in accordance with the Alma-Ata Declaration - the whole issue  is closed. Subsequently, he once again used this term about the  Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991 in Brussels, if I'm not mistaken," the  Russian minister said.

According to him, moreover, in the document in question, which was  distributed by the European Union, it is not even mentioned that  "Armenia is concerned about the fate of the Armenians who lived in  Karabakh, and that the fate of all of them should be dealt with  somehow so that they do not suffer."

"But, in this situation, our peacekeepers are doing everything they  can. We cannot restrain people who want to leave Karabakh for Russia.  We are working with Azerbaijani partners and neighbors to stabilize  the situation in Karabakh, to strengthen trust there, to provide  conditions for the resumption of normal life between Armenians and  Azerbaijanis. I hope that Yerevan should also be interested in it and  will make efforts for it," he said.

On September 19, Azerbaijan, under the pretext of an "anti-terrorist  operation," undertook another act of aggression against Artsakh. As a  result of enemy aggression, hundreds of Artsakh residents were  injured, more than 200 deaths were reported, including civilians, and  more than 10,000 were evacuated. Already on September 20, Artsakh  fell. Azerbaijan began the forcible subjugation of the NKR. In  addition, on September 20, late in the evening it became known that  Azerbaijan had deliberately shot at the car of the Russian  peacekeeping contingent, killing 5 people, including the deputy  commander of the RMK. On September 20, another RMK vehicle was shot  by Azerbaijanis, one peacekeeper was killed, and another was wounded.

On September 19, Azerbaijan, under the pretext of an "anti-terrorist  operation," undertook another act of aggression against Artsakh. As a  result of enemy aggression, hundreds of Artsakh residents were  injured, more than 200 deaths were reported, including civilians, and  more than 10,000 were evacuated.

On September 20, Artsakh fell. Azerbaijan began the forcible  subjugation of the NKR.  On September 20, late in the evening it  became known that Azerbaijan had deliberately shot at the car of the  Russian peacekeeping contingent, killing 5 people, including the  deputy commander of the RPC. Today, there were reports that one  soldier was killed and another was wounded as a result of shooting at  another RPC vehicle.  

On September 21, a meeting between representatives of Baku and  Stepanakert was held in Yevlakh.  Azerbaijan demanded the disarmament  of the Artsakh Defense Army, the surrender of all military personnel  and the abolition of all government bodies.

On September 22, the process of abolishing the Artsakh Defense Army  began. There are reports that the enemy side exterminated the  population of the villages captured on September 19-20. During search  operations from September 21 to 24, the NKR Ministry of Internal  Affairs discovered the bodies of 105 Artsakh residents, including  brutally murdered children and elderly people.

On October 1, the last car with Artsakh people left the homeland.  Thus, over the past week, 100.514 people were forcibly expelled from  their land.

On September 25 it also became known that Artsakh was connected to  the energy system of Azerbaijan.  Protests demanding the resignation  of the RA Prime Minister continue in Yerevan and regions.  We add  that as a result of the explosion that took place in the fuel depot  near Stepanakert on September 25, according to preliminary data, more  than 290 people were injured, 170 more died, there are still missing  people.   

The EU stated that it would allocate an additional 5 million euros to  assist internally displaced people from Artsakh.  Earlier, USAID  Administrator Samantha Power, who is on a visit to Armenia, said that  "the United States will provide Armenia with support in the amount of  $11.5 million for the humanitarian needs of people displaced from  Nagorno- Karabakh." In addition, as ArmInfo previously reported with  reference to the Swedish Ambassador to Armenia, Sweden, through the  Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA),  allocated 15 million Swedish kronor to the International Committee of  the Red Cross to meet the humanitarian needs of the population of  Nagorno- Karabakh.  France promised to allocate another 7 million  euros.  Germany announced an increase in subsidies to the ICRC from 2  to 5 million euros, to direct them to humanitarian needs of the  Armenians of Nagorno- Karabakh.  Another 1 million euros will be  provided by Spain, $2.5 million by Canada, and 1.3 million pounds  sterling by the UK. A number of other countries have also announced  their intention to send humanitarian aid to the expelled people of  Artsakh.