Artsakh remains committed to the conflict’s peaceful settlement through negotiations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) stated this in response to Armenpress’ question of what is the position of the Artsakh authorities regarding the latest proposals of international mediators to conduct a direct dialogue with Azerbaijan for the purpose of conflict settlement.

"It should not be based on the ratio of military forces or the legalization of the results of the use of force, but on the norms and principles of international law, including equality and the right of peoples to self-determination.

The best way to protect these principles is to engage the international community in discussions with Azerbaijan.

We have repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community to the fact that the negotiations should take place in an agreed-upon internationally recognized format, within the framework of which conditions and guarantees will be ensured for the parties to consistently fulfill their obligations. In this regard, first of all, it is necessary to focus efforts on the full implementation of previously reached agreements. This will be the main indicator of the conscientious approach of the parties to the peace process. After that, favorable conditions can be formed for discussing all issues—including issues related to ensuring the safety of the people of Artsakh, exercising rights without restrictions, and respecting free expression. We are convinced that without resolving these important issues, it is impossible to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the conflict," the Artsakh MFA emphasized.

It recalled that after the signing of the tripartite statement on November 9, 2020, several meetings were held between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, during which only humanitarian, infrastructural, and some other urgent matters related to the life of the population were discussed. The last such meeting was held on March 1 of this year, during which humanitarian issues were discussed in the context of the need for Azerbaijan to immediately unblock the Lachin corridor.

"It is obvious that such discussions between the parties aimed at resolving urgent issues cannot replace the full peace negotiations necessary for a stable and comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict," stressed the Artsakh MFA.

The ministry draws the attention of the international community also to the fact that, on the one hand, Azerbaijan declares its readiness for dialogue with Artsakh, but on the other hand, it keeps the people of Artsakh under a blockade for almost three months now, organizes terrorist attacks against it and makes extremist demands, trying to put pressure and use force or the threat of force to achieve its goals.