AiBotYerevan, Armenia – In a sharp rebuke to Azerbaijan’s leadership, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed disappointment over the post-war reconstruction efforts in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. On Thursday, speaking at a press conference, Pashinyan criticized Azerbaijan’s infrastructure development in Karabakh, calling it ineffective and lacking substance.
During the discussion, Pashinyan stated that, despite Azerbaijan’s claims of progress in rebuilding the region, little to no tangible improvements have been made. “I was speaking about the territories around Karabakh. And yes, nothing was built there. What was built there in name only, de facto did not even exist,” Pashinyan said, reiterating the Armenian government’s long-standing stance on the issue. He further emphasized that any construction taking place in Karabakh has come at the expense of underdeveloped neighboring areas.
The remarks by Pashinyan come amidst heightened tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. The conflict saw significant losses on both sides, including thousands of casualties and widespread destruction to infrastructure. A subsequent peace agreement brokered by Russia aimed to establish a lasting ceasefire between the two nations, but it has largely remained unenforced.
The Armenian Prime Minister also criticized the lack of progress in rebuilding vital infrastructure throughout the disputed region. “Whatever was built in Karabakh was at the expense of what was not built elsewhere,” Pashinyan stated. His comments appear to indicate that the Armenian government views Azerbaijan’s efforts as superficial, prioritizing token projects over meaningful development.
Azerbaijan has maintained that the reconstruction efforts are a high priority and that significant strides have been made in the region. However, these assertions are at odds with the assessments of various international organizations and media outlets, which have reported on the ongoing difficulties facing the region’s residents.
Pashinyan’s comments are likely to escalate tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, raising the stakes in ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region and address issues arising from the conflict. It remains unclear whether international mediation efforts will succeed in reconciling the competing interests and demands of the two nations, but it is clear that a resolution to this complex conflict will be critical to preventing future escalation.