The administration of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has denied media reports that he and his administration have ended contacts with the de facto Armenian authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a message from Nikol Pashinyan's spokeswoman Nazeli Baghdasarian on Monday (3 July), she wrote "in connection with these claims that have nothing to do with reality, we consider it important to underline that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly mentioned intensive daily contacts with [the de facto President of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] Arayik Harutyunyan."
"As a reminder, a working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan was set up in late 2022 with the purpose of managing the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and supporting the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, tasked with monitoring humanitarian issues together with the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh and providing the necessary urgent support, including with the help of international organisations," she added.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has come in for increasing criticism from de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh since May, when he pledged to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan in any future peace agreement, which is currently under negotiation.