“Karabakh’s territory is the territory stipulated by NKR’s Constitution and we are not ready to make any concessions in this regard. By ‘the territory’ we mean the present actual territory of Artsakh. This is our standpoint and we will stick to it,” Ara Harutunyan, NKR Prime Minister and Leader of “Azat Hayrenik” (Free Motherland) party, told journalists.

Concerning the Madrid principles on settlement of the Karabakh conflict, he said Artsakh has not received the document officially, and “we know about them [the principles] only from press and news – which cannot be considered as document.”

“Both NKR and Armenia’s Presidents have stated that any document would be signed by both authorities only when the nation approves it. We have no right to doubt this – as the people has the final say” the Premier stated.

As concerns the Armenia-Turkey normalization process, Harutunyan admitted that Karabakh has some expectations in this regard, and particularly economic ones – as Armenia’s economic development implies NKR’s one as well.

“We all know that it will enable the country to develop. However, this should happen without preconditions. Opening of the border does not mean that the preconditions and claims are accepted,” maintains Harutunyan. He underlined that “Azat Hayrenik” absolutely trusts RA President’s line. “His 20-years-old experience makes us believe that every step that President of Armenia makes is well-balanced and reasoned,” he stated.