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The Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) continue to hold negotiations to have the Azerbaijani side return to its initial positions. Artur Harutyunyan, head of the "Free Motherland-UCA" faction of the Artsakh National Assembly, said this in an interview with NEWS.am, reflecting on Azerbaijan’s violation of the line of contact at the Shushi-Lisagor sector and ensuring a positional advance two days ago.

"By exerting pressure, Azerbaijan is trying to create a background for forced negotiations or political discussions. At the behest of the international community, due to not taking practical steps under the blockade of Artsakh, Azerbaijan continues to implement its adopted policy: exerting pressure and completely besieging Artsakh. With such pressures, they are carrying out ethnic cleansing and genocide preparations globally in order to achieve their goals. But it will not be possible to achieve these goals through pressures, we [i.e., Artsakh] are not going to make any concessions—‘integration’—as a result of these pressures; there can be no such thing.

“Yes, we are ready to go to negotiations—but not under conditions of coercion or positing of demands [by Azerbaijan]. We have said there are clear international guarantees, an international format—the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group—which was conducting negotiations and was the only internationally recognized format based on three principles: the right of nations to self-determination, territorial integrity, and non-use of force. If there are those international guarantees and Artsakh is recognized as a separate full-fledged negotiating party in the international format, we are ready to go to negotiations based on those three principles. But we see that Azerbaijan, with grossest violations of all international rights, is trying to create the background through pressure, as if we are negotiating or, as they say, we are conducting negotiations with the Armenian population on ‘integration.’

“I think there is no need to create new formats—Brussels, American, or something else. The OSCE Minsk Group has conducted negotiations for 30 years, and negotiations should be continued within the framework of this same format, based on the same principles; I consider this realistic. Of course the co-chairing countries should show their will so that this format starts working fully. Of course, there are certain problems, disagreements between the co-chairing countries in that regard. They have happened before, too, but they were working effectively in this format," said Artur Harutyunyan.

The MP of the ruling power of Artsakh emphasizes that the UN Security Council should ensure the implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but for more than a month now, Azerbaijan has not fulfilled the demands of this court and Artsakh remains under a blockade by Azerbaijan.

In a statement issued two days ago, the Artsakh foreign ministry requested the UN Security Council to take concrete steps aimed at the immediate reopening of the Lachin corridor and curbing Azerbaijan's genocidal policy.

Artur Harutyunyan says that Azerbaijan is encouraged by the fact that the international community—in particular, the UN Security Council—does not take practical steps and continues to carry out such actions that undermine peace and stability in the region.

And what to do if the UN Security Council does not ensure the execution of the ICJ decision? Artur Harutyunyan refers to the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020.

"The Russian Federation, in the presence of the contingent of the Russian peacekeepers [in Artsakh], must ensure the implementation of the tripartite statement. We refer both to the tripartite statement of 2020 and to the implementation of the Hague Court's decision, practical steps must be taken. Otherwise, Azerbaijan will continue the policy of [Armenian] ethnic cleansing and genocide and will achieve its goal: de-Armenianizing Artsakh. And the talk about ‘integration’ is a deception for the international community," he added.

The Russian peacekeepers are negotiating with the Azerbaijani side about its retreat to the starting position

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