The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has repeatedly stressed that the issue of refugees must be resolved on the basis of equality, and there can be no unilateral solution to this problem.

Davit Babayan, Spokesperson of the NKR President, noted the aforesaid commenting, at the request of Armenian News-NEWS.am, on the recent respective statement by the co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group. 

Babayan emphasized that the Armenian refugees need to have an opportunity and security guarantees to return to Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani refugees likewise need to have such rights.

“This is one of the cornerstone humanitarian issues,” said the press secretary of the NKR President. “But until its resolution, all political matters need to be resolved.”

He added that the humanitarian issues can be resolved solely after NKR and Azerbaijan formally recognize one another, and their borders are specified.

In this connection, however, Davit Babayan underscored the inadmissibility of a forcible resolution to the refugee issue.

“An anti-Armenian policy is conducted in Azerbaijan at state level; this closes the road for the Armenians’ return [to Azerbaijan],” he added. “In fact, Azerbaijan’s policy closes the avenues for the resolution of the matter.”