The Security Council of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) today held its first session chaired by President Arayik Haroutyunyan, as reported the Office of the President of Artsakh.
Several key security issues were on the agenda. Before discussing the issues on the agenda, President Haroutyunyan delivered a speech in which he stated that the main mission of the authorities of Artsakh in the security sector is guaranteeing the security of the population of Artsakh in the narrow sense and the security of the Armenian people in the broad sense.
Touching upon the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict as an environment conditioning the main security risks, Haroutyunyan stated that the Republic of Artsakh is ready for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but has specific principles that underlie Artsakh’s policy, including the following: the authorities of Artsakh must fully and completely participate in all stages of the process for a peaceful and ultimate settlement of the conflict; the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and security of Artsakh can’t be put at risk or bargained in any case; no option for settlement of the conflict can become a matter of substantive discussion between the parties without recognition of the exercise of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination; the attempts to use force and threat of force during the settlement of the conflict must be ruled out with specific guarantees; unilateral concessions or disproportionate and inadequate mutual concessions on the part of the authorities of Artsakh are ruled out in any option for settlement of the conflict; Armenian refugees and internally displaced persons need to be equally engaged in the settlement of the conflict and related processes along with Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons; the international community, particularly the OSCE and co-chairing countries need to rule out the violations of and restrictions on the rights of the residents of Artsakh conditioned by the conflict and the international status of Artsakh.
