By Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning
During a speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hit back at Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s continued use of the term “Zangezur corridor,” emphasizing that in Armenia, it is perceived as a territorial claim and is associated with “conflict narrative.”
“I think it makes sense for my Azerbaijani counterpart to clarify what he means by using that expression, because in the Armenian reality it is perceived as a territorial claim on Armenia and is associated with conflict narrative,” Pashinyan said during his Saturday speech, adding that ‘such narratives do not increase people’s faith in peace; nor do they stem from the atmosphere of peace and the agreements reached at the highest levN achieved through joint heavy efforts, why engage [in] aggressive subtexts that are not connected with objective reality. Doesn”t peace bring enough joy and satisfaction? To me, for example, it does,” Pashinyan said, adding that Armenia is “a democratic state that is developing at an impressive pace, independent, sovereign, and building its own future today, a state that does not harbor or spread hatred towards its neighbors or towards anyone.”
“I invite the attention of the international community to the fact that the so-called “Zangezur corridor” and similar narratives do not stem from the agreements reached, have no connection with the agreements, have an irritating and negative impact, and are perceived as a territorial claim against a sovereign country, despite the agreements reached and declared,” Pashinyan emphasised.
“But this will certainly not divert us one millimeter from the practice of celebrating the peace achieved and implementing the agreements declared,” he concluded, regarding Aliyev’s comments.
Pashinyan spent the majority of his Saturday address speaking about the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process, noting the progress that had been made since his last UN speech in 2024.
