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Armenia’s third President Serzh Sargsyan has responded to the statement of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly in which it slams Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s plans to recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan and strongly urges the former and current presidents of Armenia and Artsakh to condemn his statements.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Pashinyan reiterated his government’s readiness to recognize “Azerbaijan's territorial integrity of 86,600 square kilometers” through a bilateral peace treaty.

“The 86,600 square kilometers include Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.

Below is Sargsyan’s full statement published by his office early on Tuesday.

"To the demand that I respond to today’s [May 22] direct and unequivocal declaration on recognizing Artsakh a part of Azerbaijan made by the defeatist, who is sitting on the chair of Prime Minister of Armenia, is incomprehensible if not insolent.

Repetitively, including in the last five years, on every thinkable occasion I have stated that Artsakh will not be a part of Azerbaijan. I personally and the political force led by me, the Republican Party of Armenia, in all our statements, speeches, addresses have been stressing and declaring incessantly our principled approaches on the Artsakh issue, presenting our position point by point on this vital issue, speaking also about the disastrous steps taken by Armenia’s current rulers.

Our approaches and principles are unchangeable. We have voiced them, struggled and will continue to struggle even though we have been sullied, slandered, targeted, even though our alarm signals and warnings have been disregarded. 

Some are currently having “a surprise shock” and want me to make a new statement which is questionable to say the least. I have always been and will continue to be by the side of my brothers and sisters in Artsakh, true to the vow I took at the graves of my comrades-in-arms – not to leave our common task uncompleted.

Beloved Sisters and Brothers,

Today more than ever, along with the words, the concrete steps, actions, and unity are becoming critical, regardless of the existing disagreements and ambitions which are nothing compared to a disaster approaching our nation. 

I consider and will continue to consider the issue of Artsakh and Armenia’s statebuilding my life’s mission."