The foreign policy directions and priorities of the Artsakh Republic have not changed, in general, but they have undergone changes in terms of their potency. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Haroutyunyan stated this in his address on Wednesday.

"In particular, it is necessary to separate the following main directions and goals:

The main direction of the foreign policy is to ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh, also through the political mechanism.

If in the pre-war period the settlement of the [Karabakh] conflict was based on three basic principles— the exclusion of the use of force and the threat of force, the right of peoples to self-determination, and territorial integrity—then this [recent] war simply abolished the meaning of the two of these principles—the exclusion of the threat of force, and territorial integrity.

Therefore, if two of the three principles have become obsolete, the third principle—the recognition of the fact of realization of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination—also must be immediately brought to fruition so that it will be possible think about the settlement of the conflict. In this regard, it is important to take into account both the deprivations and sufferings of the people of Artsakh and the existing ontological risks of new crimes, viewing the international recognition of the Artsakh Republic as a compensatory and preventive mechanism. It is clear to everyone that the internationally recognized status will provide significant practical guarantees for the safety and the protection of the rights of our people," the Artsakh President added in particular.