PanARMENIAN.Net - Levon Zurabyan, coordinator of the Armenian National Congress, detailed provisions from the peace proposal presented by the OSCE Minsk Group to Armenia in June 2019 during a press briefing with reporters.
According to Panorama.am , Zurabyan stated he would present evidence showing that Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev supported the 2019 plan.
"The entire settlement process was to occur in two phases. The first was a stage of coordinated steps. What did these include? The return of five districts to Azerbaijan, but only after international peacekeepers were deployed in Artsakh, Kelbajar, and Lachin, as well as in those districts. Only civilians were to enter the returned territories, with no military or law enforcement forces. The composition of the peacekeepers was to be determined by consensus between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Zurabyan listed.
He explained that the plan aimed to lift economic blockades and open transport links. Security for Nagorno-Karabakh was to be ensured by Armenia, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, and the UN Security Council.
"I don't see the flaw in this plan. How can you receive such a proposal-not once, but twice, in April and June-and not engage in negotiations to achieve the peace we longed for?" he asked.
Zurabyan emphasized that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has never disclosed his response to the 2019 proposal.
"The question is, if in 2019 you received a document offering peace and de facto independence for Nagorno-Karabakh, why didn't you seize it? What was your response? You had three choices: accept and pursue peace-I have proof Aliyev was on board-or at least continue negotiations. The third option was war, and that's what you chose by staying silent and snubbing the international community-France, the U.S., and Russia," he stated.
Zurabyan cited ruling party lawmaker Ruben Rubinyan and Pashinyan as saying Armenia was still "assessing" the proposal.
"To show the absurdity of that claim: Armenia received the proposal in April and June 2019 but was still 'assessing' it when Azerbaijan launched its attack on September 27, 2020. How long does it take to respond?" Zurabyan asked.
He argued that the Prime Minister did not respond through official channels but through public statements. He recalled that just two months after the proposal, Pashinyan traveled to Stepanakert and made a controversial speech at a rally.
"Choosing not to respond was the most terrifying option," Zurabyan concluded.
Documents related to the Karabakh conflict negotiations have been published on the government's official website. These include both internal and publicly available documents shedding light on the pre-2020 negotiation process.
Source: PanArmenian.Net
