More than 70,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Armenia

More than 70,000 internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia as of 1:00 p.m. , Armenian Prime Minister’s spokeswoman Nazeli Baghdasaryan said at a briefing.

"As of 2:00 p.m. , 70,500 forcibly displaced citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia," she said.

According to Baghdasaryan, 35 buses are currently waiting in Goris, on the border with Azerbaijan, for a decrease in the flow of cars to go to Stepanakert and bring refugees from there. "There is an agreement on this," she added.

The Azerbaijani authorities were not involved in the decision made by some in the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh to relocate to Armenia or any other country, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

"We once again state that Azerbaijan has nothing to do with the decision made by local Armenians of the Karabakh Region of Azerbaijan to relocate to Armenia or any other country. We are ready to provide them with conditions for a better life than they had when they were hostages of the military junta created by Armenia," the Ministry said on its Telegram channel.

The Ministry noted that Azerbaijan is determined to "reintegrate the Armenian residents as equal citizens," adding that the Azerbaijani Constitution, national legislation and international obligations "ensure a firm basis for achieving this goal."