YEREVAN. July 6 (Interfax) - There are no Armenian servicemen in Nagorno-Karabakh, whose withdrawal Azerbaijan demands, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
"Azerbaijan keeps bringing unfounded accusations against Armenia. For instance, Azerbaijan continues to demand that Armenia withdraw its army units from Nagorno-Karabakh although Armenia has no troops there. Please note that there is no Armenian army in Nagorno-Karabakh," Pashinyan said at a government meeting on Thursday.
The Defense Army of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic operates in Nagorno-Karabakh, he said.
Azerbaijan also accuses Armenia of failing to meet the obligation of providing a transport corridor through its territory, Pashinyan said.
"Armenia has never assumed responsibility or committed to provide this corridor either in writing or orally, and it would never say so. You can make sure that Armenia has not assumed such responsibility if you read the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020," he said.
Armenia is ready to unblock regional transport communications on the basis of sovereignty and equality of the sides, he said.
"A draft resolution of the Armenian government on the opening of three checkpoints on the border with Azerbaijan was composed long ago. This resolution has not been approved because of the destructive stance of Azerbaijan, which has yet to start a similar domestic process, as it is unwilling to provide a road for Armenia," Pashinyan said.
"No matter how difficult this could be morally, politically or emotionally, one cannot lose self-control, as there is no alternative to the peace agenda," he said.
On Wednesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev demanded that Armenia withdraw its troops from Karabakh.