The fall of Shusha was one of the main reasons for signing the statement dated November 9, 2020, and forced Armenia to agree to the conditions put forward by Azerbaijan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a meeting of the commission investigating the circumstances of the 44-day war, in which his country suffered a crushing defeat, reported from Sputnik-Armenia.

"Why did I sign the tripartite statement on November 9? Here, of course, the fall of the city of Shusha was a turning point. Not only the symbolic significance of the city, but the strategic one was important here,” he said.

He noted that after the fall of the city, Khankandi was under attack. Most importantly, about 25,000 soldiers could be encircled, he added.

The prime minister noted that November 9 was the fifth attempt to stop the hostilities. The first conversation about this arose on October 7, when Pashinyan made a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate on his birthday.

Putin noted that he considers the prime minister’s statement in an interview important, where Pashinyan declared his readiness for compromises. "And, taking this opportunity, he wants to make mediation efforts for the fastest possible ceasefire,” Pashinyan said.

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