Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh has never been on his government’s agenda.

“The Government of Armenia did not want the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to be forced to leave their homes, but it happened. We have proven that we care about the needs of our brothers and sisters of Nagorno-Karabakh the same way we care about the citizens of Armenia,” Pashinyan told a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, October 12.

“If our brothers and sisters of Nagorno-Karabakh do not get to return to their homes, our policy is to do everything to ensure that all forcibly displaced persons remain in Armenia.”

Pashinyan said his government wants the Armenians of Karabakh, “everyone with no exception, to live and work in Armenia.

He added that 2,500 people displaced from Artsakh have left Armenia so far.

On September 19, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, which left hundreds of Armenians killed and thousands of others displaced. On September 20, the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a ceasefire on Azerbaijan’s terms, including the dissolution of the Defense Army. On September 18, President of the Republic of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree, according to which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) will cease to exist by January 1, 2024. Over 100,000 displaced residents have already fled Nagorno-Karabakh and reached Armenia.