Pashinian’s office publicized on Tuesday these and other proposals put forward by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group after months of calls by his political opponents holding him responsible for the six-week war. The latter were quick to portray the documents as further proof of their claims that he recklessly spurned a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict favorable to the Armenian side.
The 2019 document was the last updated version of the so-called Madrid Principles that upheld the Karabakh Armenians’ right to self-determination while calling for their withdrawal from Azerbaijani districts around Karabakh occupied in the early 1990s. They envisaged that Karabakh’s internationally recognized status would be determined through a future referendum.
Pashinian claimed that that the document in question was a mere “summary of the previous period of negotiations,” rather than a framework peace deal, as he was grilled by opposition lawmakers during his government’s question-and-answer session in the National Assembly.
He also said: “When I asked the co-chairs, ‘Can Karabakh not be part of Azerbaijan with this package?’ the answer was that yes, it can be, if Azerbaijan agrees.”
“It has never been written in any negotiation package that the referendum you mentioned should take place in Nagorno-Karabakh,” added Pashinian.
In fact, the 2019 peace plan called for a “free expression of the will of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population” the results of which would be legally binding for all parties. It also made clear that “the wording of the question or questions put to the vote will not be limited in any way,” meaning that the Karabakh Armenians would be able to vote for session from Azerbaijan or unification with Armenia.
Lawmakers representing the opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem blocs pointed to this when they again accused Pashinian of paving the way for the 2020 war with his rejection of the plan.
“I refute the opposition claims that there was a new proposal in 2019 and especially the claim that we said no to that new proposal,” countered Ruben Rubinian, a parliament vice-speaker affiliated with the ruling Civil Contract party.
Pashinian himself effectively admitted in August this year rejecting the 2019 plan. He said he did not “make concessions” and thus avert the war because they would have led to “the loss of Armenia’s independence and statehood.”
The admission was consistent with secretly recorded audio of a 2019 meeting in Yerevan during which Pashinian said he opposes the mediators’ plan because it would not immediately formalize Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan. The premier can also be heard saying that he is ready to “play the fool or look a bit insane” in order to avoid such a settlement.
In an interview broadcast last month, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov cited Pashinian as telling Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev around the same time that “the people will kill me if I sign such a thing.” Pashinian did not comment on Bayramov’s claim. It was denied instead by Rubinian.