The Republican Party of Armenia Issues a Statement

We express our concern and indignation regarding the foreign policy carried out by the Armenian government concerning the Artsakh issue. This is stated in the statement of the executive body of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

“The Republican Party of Armenia expresses its concern and indignation regarding the foreign policy conducted by the Armenian government concerning the information published by the Russian Foreign Minister about the developments in the negotiation process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It does not align with our national interests and may have destructive consequences for both the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, nullifying the basic principles of the negotiations conducted by Armenian authorities with the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group until 2018, including the five statements made by the presidents of the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group—Russia, the USA, and France—thereby undermining the strong negotiation positions established by the Armenian side.

During the negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue from 2008 to 2018, based on the Constitution of Armenia, the overall leadership of Armenia's foreign policy was carried out by President Serzh Sargsyan, as well as Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, who, while always coordinating with the authorities of Artsakh, never discussed the phased version of the conflict resolution; moreover, they deemed it unacceptable, impractical, and categorically rejected it.

It is evident that in a package format, contrary to a phased one, the essential principles and elements of the resolution are secured from the beginning, and it is clear what each side ultimately is expected to gain. The danger of the phased version lies in the fact that at some stage, one of the parties might achieve part of its expectations and not continue the process, thus rendering it indefinite and fraught with risks.

In a phased version, it cannot be envisaged that the fulfillment of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, which is vital for the Armenian side, is realized through a legally binding free expression of will, the agenda of which is not limited in any way. This is clearly visible in the current discussions regarding the negotiations where Minister Lavrov has published a project suggesting a phased resolution.

If previously there were regular mentions of a package solution to be implemented in phases, today, during the roundtable held in a video conference format with representatives of the A.M. Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov made very clear and unambiguous statements.

The Armenian Foreign Minister today did not deny his Russian counterpart's statement regarding the new project presented to the parties last April. Therefore, we categorically condemn the misleading and dishonest statements made until now regarding the absence of a negotiation document by the current authorities of Armenia.

Due to this government’s inept and populist approach, which started negotiations from its own position and labeled the negotiation legacy, the Madrid principles, the Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Geneva agreements were effectively pushed out of the negotiation agenda, thereby nullifying all provisions regarding the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination.

We reiterate that any option for resolution that does not guarantee the implementation and recognition of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, as well as the international guarantees for the security of the population of the Republic of Artsakh, is unacceptable. We firmly believe that the issue can be resolved based on compromises, and these compromises cannot be listed without first having clear guarantees of the recognition and implementation of the right of the Republic of Artsakh to self-determination,” the statement concludes.