A regular session of the RA government took place today, chaired by RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Before discussing the issues on the agenda, the Prime Minister referred to the humanitarian and military-political situation established in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Prime Minister, in particular, noted:
“Before addressing the agenda of the government session, I want to talk about the humanitarian and military-political situation established in Nagorno-Karabakh. Of course, it should be noted that the problem remains extremely tense, and the humanitarian crisis continues.
We are in constant contact with our partners in Nagorno-Karabakh, and as a result of our discussions this morning, we can still state that there are specific hopes for a positive change in the situation. This is the assessment of several of our partners in Nagorno-Karabakh, which we also share.
What is it about, or what do we mean when we say there are hopes for positive developments? It is taken into account that the residents of Nagorno Karabakh settlements, our compatriots, can get a real opportunity to return to their homes. But I also want to say the following: We note that the situation is dynamic and changeable; that is, the information we have at the moment can change in half an hour.
But we must have accurate information about that moment and understand the dynamics at any given moment. There is also some hope for an improvement in the humanitarian situation. It is not excluded that larger batches of humanitarian aid will enter Nagorno Karabakh today.
I cannot say in more detail because there are specific arrangements, and their implementation should start now. I wouldn’t know whether it would begin, but there are particular arrangements; it’s clear. Again, I ask both our compatriots and government members to consider this a dynamic process. Also, I want to clarify our position regarding the possible transfer of our compatriots from Nagorno Karabakh to the Republic of Armenia.
We estimate that this will happen and can happen when it is recorded that our compatriots can’t stay in Nagorno-Karabakh; that is, this situation will continue. Yes, we appreciate that this impossibility exists at the moment. In other words, if the situation does not improve, this problem will be on our agenda. Still, I also want to inform our public that on September 19, that is, the day of the start of operations, I instructed Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan to discuss with the government colleagues the case of a possible flow of people to the Republic of Armenia and how, with what, and where we will support our compatriots.
I also talked about it on the air yesterday. More than 40 thousand places have been prepared. Also, we are talking about places to stay, health care, food, etc. In other words, we can record that we are ready and continue to prepare, but I want to say again that this is an agreed position with the partners of Nagorno Karabakh.
This is also an essential circumstance: our plan “a” is not to depopulate Nagorno-Karabakh, that is, to evacuate our compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh. This is not our plan “A”; we must do everything to ensure that our compatriots, Nagorno Karabakh residents, can live in their homes without fear, with dignity and safety. The critical emphasis in the UN Security Council, on which there was practically a consensus, was about this, and this logic should guide us.
Dear colleagues and dear people, on the other hand, I cannot help but notice that it should be recorded that a hybrid war is taking place against the Republic of Armenia in the information field. And in this regard, we should be more attentive and keep our communication with the public more active. It is essential to keep the credibility of official information; that is, what we say, we have to measure, check, recheck several times, and then publish it again.
But on the other hand, for example, yesterday, I spoke about the threat to the lives of the civilian population. My assessment last night was, and today, that assessment has improved slightly, in a more positive sense, that there is no direct threat to civilian life. But again, it should be noted that the situation is dynamic and can change anytime. However, I wouldn’t have made this statement if I didn’t see specific trends in the dynamics that make it possible to make such a statement.
But the situation is changeable; I cannot say that it is stable, and in individual cases, when talking about the civilian population, it does not refer to the fact that no incident can happen anywhere. It is generally about situation and assessment. We must continue our active cooperation with our media field so that people get the correct information because, in this emotional situation, any unfavorable information can hurt the case and decision-making; moreover, we must assess the situation based on verified news.
I repeat once again: the Republic of Armenia has been prepared since the first day of the situation. We have realized, we have taken into account that such a situation can happen. When we say we have prepared and designed according to our abilities and logic, and we can do more, we will spare nothing for it. But I addressed the questions in my broadcast yesterday. I can confirm everything I said yesterday because our discussions this morning and the information we received give us hope to have positive dynamics.
We will follow the information during the day; I think at the end of the day, maybe again, if necessary, I can go on air and inform the public whether the morning ratings have changed or not, if they have changed, by what logic they have changed and how me?”
