Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addresses the EEU’s Intergovernmental Council meeting in Minsk, Belarus on July 17

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday told leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union that Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy, which was manifested in this week’s brazen attacks on Armenia, will not shatter his country’s determination nor can it force Armenian to make unilateral concessions in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Speaking the EEU’s Intergovernmental Council in Minsk, the Belarus capital, Pashinyan discussed the imperative of maintaining peace as the EEU and the world are fighting the global coronavirus pandemic.

“As you may know, ignoring the numerous calls for an end to armed conflict amid the ongoing pandemic, including those reflected in the Joint Statement of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on April 14 and the UN Secretary-General’s statement of March 23, Azerbaijan resorted to military action on the northeast borders of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan told his EEU colleagues.

“The armed forces of Armenia could not help but respond to these provocative actions of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, provocations continue to this day, fostering tension and unpredictability,” added Pashinyan.

“Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy in the region leads nowhere. It will not succeed in breaking our people’s resolve and force us to make unreasonable and unilateral concessions in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” asserted Pashinyan. “There is no military solution to the conflict and there is no alternative to peace negotiations, which is in the interests of all peoples in our region.”

The participants of the EEU’s Intergovernmental Council meeting

A wide range of issues of Eurasian integration in the areas of trade, the functioning of domestic markets, competition, industry, technical regulation and others were discussed during the meeting, which was the first in-person gathering for EEU leaders. The meeting also discussed a comprehensive healthcare action plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in member countries.

Also discussed were initiatives that provide for exchange of information on major projects, which will allow the EEU partners to avoid duplication of production, take note of development trends and effectively use each other’s capabilities when forming national development plans and investment programs.