– Today I want to say that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not only possible, but that it is within reach, Pashinyan said in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
– Peace is so close to us here, and all we need to do is reach out a hand and take it, he added. Pasjinjan has advocated peace, but he has faced opposition from uncompromising nationalists.
Pashinyan further said he is ready to accept Azerbaijan’s most important demand, namely to allow transport through Armenian territory to the Nakhchivan exclave, which would link Azerbaijan to friendly Turkey.
For decades, tension has been high between the two former Soviet republics because of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, where the population was Armenian.
After a series of clashes and negotiations, Azerbaijan sent in forces last year and quickly took control. Almost the entire population there of 120,000 people fled to Armenia.
– The pain is very deep and intense, but we must focus on peace now, because peace is the only truth that is understandable to the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said.
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2024-09-29 23:34:10
