Yerevan /Mediamax. Today, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has spoken about the "interests of the frontline” and presented the situation in Artsakh at the time of making the decision on signing the November 9 Joint Statement.

On Aghdam, Lachin and Kelbajar

“The biggest fault attributed to me is the well-known document, which says that I agree to hand over Aghdam, Lachin and Kelbajar to Azerbaijan. This may seem very surprising, but that episode was not about handing over but keeping these areas, because the document was signed after Shushi fell and the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces was reporting to me that the resources were quite problematic. The political leadership of Artsakh has also shared that opinion,” Pashinyan said.

He has noted that in fact, that document gave what could be lost according to military and non-military assessment. “If the document had not been signed at that time, the hostilities would have continued; there was a high probability that Stepanakert, Martuni, Askeran would have been captured, after which thousands of our soldiers would have been under siege,” he said.

The situation at the moment of making the decision

According to Nikol Pashinyan, at the time of making the decision, Stepanakert was under direct threat.

“The assessment of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the President of Artsakh was that Stepanakert’s defense was very weak or symbolical, and if Stepanakert was captured, it would leave thousands of our soldiers under siege and as a result we would lose the areas indicated in the document,” said Pashinyan.

“If the war continued”

“Stepanakert, Askeran were defenseless; the defense in Martuni was unstable, and if the war continued, in fact, there was a high probability that our 5th, 6th and even 7th defense districts through Askeran or Martuni could be blocked, and in that case thousands of lives of the soldiers would be in danger,” concluded the Prime Minister.