Nikol Pashinyan: Karabakh issue was used against development of Armenian statehood

The Karabakh issue was used against development of Armenian statehood, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament during debates of his administration's 2024 budget request, Report informs.

According to him, this issue was used in such a way that its solution could end the existence of the country.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that the Armenians could not achieve their wish regarding Karabakh, and especially this happened after the 1996 OSCE Lisbon Summit.

"At the closed official meetings and banquets of this event, those who convinced and encouraged us about the possibility of solving this issue only aimed to prevent the establishment of the Armenian state. At least after 1996, there was no Karabakh issue. Instead, there was the issue of the Republic of Armenia. The events of 1998, October 27, 1999, 2020 and 2023 should be considered in this context," Pashinyan said.