Vladimir Poutine greeted Wednesday, December 2 the "
courage
" of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian, criticized in his country for having accepted a ceasefire consecrating the victory of Azerbaijan after six weeks of war in Nagorno Karabakh.
To read also: Conflict in Karabakh: "Do not go to Agdam"
The agreement, signed between Baku and Yerevan under Russian patronage on November 9, granted important territorial gains to Azerbaijan and is considered catastrophic by many Armenians, who have since demanded Pashinian's resignation.
"
The Armenian government was forced to make a very difficult, but necessary decision,
" the Russian president said on Wednesday during a videoconference meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CTSC), which Russia and Armenia are making. part.
"
These decisions were painful and demanded personal courage from the Armenian Prime Minister
", continued Putin, assuring that "
our task is now to support the Prime Minister and his team to organize a peaceful life
" in Nagorny Karabakh.
Under the November 9 agreement, Armenia pledged to hand over three districts - Lachin, Kalbajar and Aghdam - which had escaped Azerbaijani control since 1994, the handover having been completed on Tuesday.
These districts were part of a buffer zone around Nagorno Karabakh, a mountainous region populated mainly by Armenians which seceded from Azerbaijan after a war in the 1990s.
The signing of the agreement was badly received in Armenia, triggering several protests in recent weeks.
Part of the opposition qualifies Nikol Pachinian as a “
traitor
” and demands his resignation.
The agreement nevertheless enabled the survival of the diminished Nagorny Karabakh and saw the deployment of 2,000 Russian peacekeepers responsible in particular for ensuring the security of the Lachin corridor, which has become the only road linking Nagorno Karabakh to the 'Armenia.
