Armenian PM says no return to Karabakh
HAMBURG
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Dec. 11 stressed that the issue of Armenians’ return to Karabakh “must be taken off the agenda,” noting that he has already told the group themselves that such a prospect is not realistic.
Speaking to a group of journalists in Hamburg on Dec. 11 as part of his official trip to Germany, Pashinyan offered a set of assessments in which he addressed both the debate over the “return of Karabakh Armenians” and the notion of “Western Azerbaijan,” a term periodically invoked in Azerbaijan’s public discourse.
“Let me make an open proposal to Azerbaijan and its public, because these matters pose challenges not only for them but for us as well. I propose adopting a joint roadmap aimed at resolving these two issues simultaneously,” Pashinyan said.
“I told our Karabakh compatriots that their return is not realistic. If we continue to keep the ‘return’ agenda alive, it would mean restarting the Karabakh movement — something I have said we must not do.
The region, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but long controlled by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Yerevan, came under full Azerbaijani control following Baku’s one-day military operation in September 2023.
Nearly the entire Armenian population — over 100,000 people — fled to Armenia within days, leaving no Armenian community remaining in Karabakh. Their potential “return” has since become a politically charged issue in both countries.
The Karabakh movement has ended and attempts to revive it are futile, the Armenian premier declared.
“From Armenia’s perspective, we also observe Azerbaijan’s persistent use of the obscure term ‘Western Azerbaijan.’”
Calling on Baku to engage directly, Pashinyan proposed, “Let us sit down and develop a roadmap for eliminating this issue.” Resolving it would also remove the potential for new conflict, he added.
In recent years, Azerbaijani officials and some public institutions have used the term “Western Azerbaijan” to refer to modern-day Armenia, arguing that Azerbaijanis who lived there during the Soviet era should have the right to “return.” Yerevan rejects the terminology as revisionist and sees it as a threat to Armenia’s territorial integrity.
Int’l atmosphere crucial for Türkiye ties
With the peace deal signed this year between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Yerevan has been moving toward normalizing relations not only with Baku but also with Türkiye.
That agreement also included the decision to establish the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), widely referred to as the Trump Route, linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenia.
Pashinyan underlined that the international environment will be crucial for any progress in Armenia–Türkiye relations, including the opening of the border.
He said global partners must help create conditions conducive to such a move.
Pashinyan noted that the context of normalization with Türkiye has shifted, as opening the border now ties directly into major regional connectivity initiatives such as the TRIPP Route.