Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated on Sunday that there is a growing possibility that ethnic Armenians may be displaced from the separated region of Nagorno-Karabakh. He blamed Russia for failing to ensure Armenian security.
If 120,000 people were to move to Armenia through the Lachin Corridor, it could potentially create both humanitarian and political challenges for the small South Caucasus country.
Pashinyan, in a speech aimed at the Armenian nation, said that this emerging situation would entirely fall on Azerbaijan, which has pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing.
He further mentioned that the Armenia-Russia alliance’s military component is not sufficient to guarantee Armenia’s external security.
Last week, Azerbaijan claimed victory against ethnic Armenians who have controlled the Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many Armenians may have to leave as they will not feel safe under Azerbaijani rule.
Russia has played a role as a mediator in a peace deal, which ended a 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh three years ago. However, many Armenians blame Moscow for failing to protect them.
Pashinyan said in his Sunday speech that some unknown forces were trying to stage an uprising against him, and he accused Russia’s media of being involved in an information war against him.
Pashinyan is warning that some of Armenia’s partners are working to transform Armenia’s external and internal security arrangements into complementary and complementary ones.
