Resignation not on agenda: Armenian premier

By Emre Gurkan Abay

YEREVAN, Armenia (AA) - Armenian prime minister on Monday said resignation is not on his agenda, amid protests in the country.

"I know that I am the first responsible for the situation. For this reason, I can appear in a court, if I have to," Nikol Pashinyan said at a video conference, referring to the Upper Karabakh deal.

Armenians started anti-government protests after Pashinyan accepted defeat against Azerbaijan and signed a peace deal that ended weeks of armed conflict in Upper Karabakh.

Turkey welcomed the truce as a "great victory" for Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan also said that the fight could have been prevented, but Armenia 'chose to fight.'

"My agenda is only to ensure the stability and security of the country," he said.

A total of 17 opposition parties called on Nikol Pashinyan to step down in order to prevent "irreparable losses" over the Karabakh deal.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted Sept. 27 and the Armenian army continued its attacks on civilian and Azerbaijani forces, even violating humanitarian cease-fire agreements for 44 days.

Baku liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from Armenian occupation during this time.

On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.