There is no negotiation process to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as has not been the last 10-15 years, former state minister of Artsakh, the head of the Free Homeland party and Artsakh presidential candidate Arayik Harutyunyan told repoters in Yerevan on Wednesday.

According to him, there were meetings, but they cannot be called talks because of the absence of Artsakh in the negotiation process. As Harutyunyan assured, now the position of the Armenian side has been toughened in connection with highlighting the need to recognize the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination.

The independence and self-determination of Artsakh cannot be discussed or negotiated. The future will depend on how it will be perceived by Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk Group, Harutyunyan noted. He said that not only the Madrid formulas, but all the previously discussed formulas did not reflect this position, they contained some vague formulations.

"Artsakh peope have always spoken out against the Madrid principles. A formula that is unacceptable primarily for the people of Artsakh cannot be discussed. The authorities in Armenia and Artsakh, which will advocate for such an option of an unacceptable decision, must either refuse to negotiate or the authorities," he noted.

Harutyunyan considers unacceptable attempts to equalize the authorities of Artsakh and representatives of the refugee-Azerbaijanis. However, it allows their participation in the negotiations, provided that the right of Artsakh to self-determination is recognized.