The people of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) have not authorized any country or international organization to determine their fate instead of them, says the country’s top parliament official.
In an interview with Tert.am, President of the Nagorno-Karabakh National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan commented upon the latest development in the peace talks, highlighting the physical existence of their population as the vital element underlying the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
He expressed regret that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship did not address the April 2016 frontline escalations in the statement released on March 9 (ahead of the Armenian and Azerbaijani top leaders’ summit). “It would be logical if the mediators had considered those facts in their proposals and negotiations; yet, the co-chairs’ recent statement does not in essence address either the consequences of the April war or the arrangements reached. The Artsakh people have not authorized any country or organization to determine their fate instead of them.”
Ghulyan also addressed the Armenian prime minister’s statements – referring to his and the Azerbaijani president’s mandates in the negotiations and emphasizing the importance of returning Artsakh to the process as a key negotiating party (entitled to represent its own people’s position).
Asked to comment upon the co-chairs’ call for refraining from any changes in the format, the parliament speaker said, “It is important to underline that the re-establishment of the trilateral format is currently being considered rather than the introduction of a new format. The Artsakh people do not accept either coercive language or the approach of dictating policies. We, as a country, are open for cooperation, including also with Azerbaijan, to discuss any issue of mutual interest as subjects enjoying equal rights,” he said.