YEREVAN. – The people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have self-determined in accordance with the norms of international law—the UN Charter, and the Soviet law. 

The Minister of Defense of Armenia, Vigen Sargsyan, on Saturday stated the aforementioned speaking at a session, entitled “Time of Change: World in the Era of Global Unpredictability,” in capital city Yerevan.

He recalled that, for Armenia, the concept of security is indirectly linked to physical military safety.

“For about 29 years, Armenia is engaged in the process of ensuring the physical safety of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” noted the minister. “On the road to exercising the [Artsakh] people’s right to self-determination, a military hard power [by Azerbaijan] opposed them, and [therefore] Armenia got involved in the conflict, becoming the guarantor of the safety of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”  

In his words, the people of Artsakh have managed to defend their right, organize national governance, and create an economic, democratic, and social structure that differs from what Azerbaijan wants to offer—or enforce upon—them.  

As per Sargsyan, the fundamental thing should be to fully respect the ceasefire agreement that was signed in 1994, but which, however, continues to be violated by Azerbaijan.

“The Armed Forces of Armenia, and the defense army of Nagorno-Karabakh are forced to give an adequate response so that the ‘hotheads’ are cooled, and that it is stressed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict doesn’t have a solution by military means,” added the defense minister of Armenia.