People in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) understand what they are fighting for, why they are enduring these difficulties, for which I thank them. Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am—and reflecting on the ongoing Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor which links Artsakh to Armenia.

"We are already using the reserve fund. If you look at the photos of the stores [in Artsakh], you will see that there is almost no product. People, on their own, without our decisions, sell products in the amount of one kilogram, no more. It is commendable that 95 percent of people [in Artsakh] have the understanding that they should behave moderately in this situation. We are all in the same boat," he said.

To the question of how long the reserves will be enough, Vardanyan answered: "We will endure. We are somehow solving the issue of medicines. It is not like we will die of hunger, but the conditions are very difficult. This condition can continue for a long time. We are preparing for it."

And commenting on the fact that the international community does not pay enough attention to the current situation in Artsakh, Vardanyan said: "If we are strong, no one will be able to break the will in us; this will enable many countries to change their approach to Artsakh. It will become one of the international issues. This issue will be heard more loudly on international platforms if we can show our strength, unity."