YEREVAN. Sept 22 (Interfax) - There is hope for positive developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, which could make it possible for local residents to return to their homes, but the situation remains extremely tense for now, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
"The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains extremely tense. The humanitarian crisis is ongoing. We are in touch with our colleagues in Nagorno-Karabakh all the time," Pashinyan said at a government meeting on Friday.
Following a phone conversation with Nagorno-Karabakh representatives on Friday, "it is possible to say that there are certain hopes for positive changes in the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.
"And this is also the assessment of our colleagues in Nagorno-Karabakh. This assessment is that residents of Nagorno-Karabakh may have a real opportunity to return to their homes," Pashinyan said.
Yerevan's stance regarding the evacuation of Nagorno-Karabakh residents to Armenia is that this process could take place "if the impossibility of their further presence in Nagorno-Karabakh is confirmed," he said.
"Yes, we assess that it [the absence of the possibility of them continuing to live in Karabakh] exists today. If the situation does not improve, this task [residents' evacuation] will be on our agenda," Pashinyan said.