We have always supported the idea of having the leaders of the two Armenian republics discuss pan-national issues and have considered it important, and there have been such cases many times. This is what President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Bako Sahakyan stated in his speech during the joint session of the Security Councils of Armenia and Artsakh today.

He particularly stated the following in his speech: “The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh are two integral sectors of one homeland, and we have common goals and a common vision for the solutions to major issues. From this perspective, the holding of joint sessions of the Security Councils provides the opportunity to discuss the issues facing us more thoroughly, find the optimal options for solutions and adopt substantiated decisions.

Throughout the entire existence of the Republic of Artsakh, in war and in peace, we have always felt the active support of Armenia. Even today, Armenia serves as the main guarantor of the security and normal development of Artsakh. It is natural that ensuring security of Artsakh has been and remains one of the primary objectives. Ensuring the high level of efficiency of our armed forces contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region and the military-political balance. Security issues are also primary issues in the concept paper for Artsakh’s social-economic development, and this is natural, taking into consideration the unregulated relations with Azerbaijan and the geopolitical peculiarity of our region.

From this perspective, ensuring high level of security and self-sufficiency in several sectors is particularly important for the Republic of Artsakh. Since 2017, Artsakh has been self-sufficient in terms of energy and serves as a country that exports electricity. These are the main sectors in which Artsakh has to be absolutely self-sufficient, especially in crises, and we have achieved all this through the joint efforts of Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.”