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Former Artsakh Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, who intends to join the 2020 presidential race, insists there are factually no talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

“And neither have they existed for 12-15 years. There have been meetings, but they cannot be called negotiations unless they involve the main party – Artsakh. There can be no negotiations without Artsakh’s involvement,” he told a news conference in Yerevan on Wednesday.

According to the former official, the principles in the documents discussed at the meetings of the representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities are unacceptable for the Artsakh and Armenian peoples. 

“Today as well no negotiations are being conducted: simply we have toughened our stance, which is presented by the Armenian authorities. The notion that Artsakh's security and right to self-determination are not subject to bargaining cannot be discussed or become a subject of negotiations. This has been our precondition,” Harutyunyan noted.

The ex-PM stressed that both the Armenian and Artsakh authorities that deviated from this course had no future and will face the same fate in the future as well. If the subject of the discussions does not lie in the interests of Artsakh and the Armenian people, they either have to give up negotiations, or they will face the fate of their predecessors and will have to relinquish power.

The former prime minister said he had normal working relations with the incumbent president of Artsakh.

“I was pleased with our economic cooperation but dissatisfied with the policy on the Artsakh issue,” he explained.