YEREVAN. - Status of Artsakh should be determined by its people, Spokesperson for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), Eduard Sharmazanov, told journalists after the session of the RPA Executive Body Thursday.

Asked about the scandalous interview by former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan on the prospects for the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sharmazanov said: “RPA has its precise stance, which is included in our election program. Status of Artsakh should be determined by the people of Artsakh. We will support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group towards the achievement of peaceful settlement. We should strengthen our combat-readiness and take steps toward bringing Artsakh back to the negotiation table.”

In the recent interview given to the Public Television of Armenia, former president of Armenian Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who is the leader of the Armenian National Congress (AND) and tops the candidate list of Congress-PPA bloc, responded to the question as to whether Azerbaijan is ready for the conflict settlement, noting that if Baku weren’t ready for mutual concessions, it wouldn’t have participated in the work of the OSCE Minsk Group. He also added that the principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement have been decided neither by Armenia nor Azerbaijan, but by international organizations.