During Monday’s meeting at the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly with President Arayik Harutyunyan, the MPs asked him a question about the people who are not in Artsakh during the difficult days for Artsakh, and some of them hold high positions.

In response, Harutyunyan first said that only one of the high-ranking officials of Artsakh is currently in Armenia: the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh.

"It is my decision that our foreign minister shall stay in Yerevan, considering the situation," he added.

"Actually, I think that we have to make very strict decisions. I have assigned the NSS [(National Security Service)], high-ranking officials—from department heads to the president—there is a justification that they are absent [from Artsakh], there is non-justification that they have relocated [their] family members; it will be assessed as unproductive, and decisions will be made by me," the Artsakh president said.

"We will present a package of serious decisions. Those who left the country and gone away, today have leased their property, receive income, we must make a decision regarding all of them. I cannot say what we will do. On the one hand, we shall respect our constitution. But I am in favor of a very strict attitude towards such people. First of all, to deprive [them] of the possibility of income. I announce this loudly," Harutyunyan said.

“That they are announcing, shouting, running away, everyone wants to get out [of Artsakh]... First of all, whoever wants to go, go to hell! Let them go shutting up! The people want to live here, create here," stressed the Artsakh president.