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Artsakh President-elect Arayik Harutyunyan took to Facebook on Wednesday to react to the statement issued by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on Tuesday. The post reads:

“Deeply understanding the concerns of our society due to the regular discussions between the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities on the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, I would like to reaffirm our principled position that without the full involvement of official Stepanakert, it is impossible to achieve an effective outcome.

We are interested in a peaceful and final settlement of the conflict, and fully understand that it will have a decisive influence on the establishment of sustainable and lasting peace in the region, but we expect the same understanding and responsibility also from Azerbaijan. Of course, we highly appreciate the unique role of the Armenian authorities in this issue, but it should be admitted that the authorities of the Artsakh Republic have received the primary mandate to negotiate on behalf of the Artsakh people over any proposal or document put on the negotiating table.

Highlighting the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group in the peaceful settlement of the conflict and closely following the video conferences held separately between the co-chairs and foreign ministers, as well as with the participation of all sides on April 20 and 21, unfortunately, we reiterate that the Azerbaijani authorities continue to avoid direct negotiations with the real party to the conflict. This, coupled with repeated provocations on the frontline and anti-Armenian policies, greatly reduces the level of honesty and credibility of official Baku's aspirations.

As the President-elect of the Artsakh Republic, I announce:

1. The authorities of the Artsakh Republic must participate in all stages of the process aimed at a peaceful and final settlement of the conflict on a full and complete basis.

2. The security of the Artsakh people cannot be endangered or bargained in any case.

3. Without the recognition of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination, the settlement of the conflict cannot become a subject of substantive discussions between the sides.

4. Attempts to use force and threat of force in the settlement of the conflict must be ruled out with clear guarantees, as the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples deserve to live in peace. Otherwise, the Republic of Artsakh is ready to give disproportionate retaliation to Azerbaijan, which initiates the attack, by transferring military operations to its territory.

5. In any option of the conflict settlement, unilateral concessions or disproportionate and inadequate compromises by the Artsakh authorities are excluded.

6. In the settlement of the conflict and its related processes, Armenian refugees and internally displaced persons must have an equal engagement together with Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons, and their problems must be addressed simultaneously and in a similar way.

7. The international community (primarily the OSCE and the co-chairing countries) should rule out violations and restrictions of the rights of Artsakh people conditioned by the conflict and the international status of Azerbaijan, including the de-facto isolation from international human rights and humanitarian programs, a tool of pressure Azerbaijan is trying to use in contrary to the well-known principles of international law.

The Artsakh authorities, both in the past and in the future, are ready to make every effort to strengthen trust between the parties in an atmosphere of mutual respect and to demonstrate the necessary will to achieve progress in the peaceful and lasting settlement of the conflict.”