Response of Arkadi Ghukasian and Bako Sahakyan to Nikol Pashinyan's Statement

Dear compatriots, on November 29 and 30 of this year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned in his Facebook posts that on October 19, he was called by the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, who stated that the war should be stopped. He also noted that this view is shared not only by him but also by the former Presidents of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, Arkadi Ghukasian, Bako Sahakyan, Robert Kocharian, Serzh Sargsyan, and Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

We want to inform you that since the beginning of the war, we have been in constant contact with the current President of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan. We discussed the course of the war, the possibilities for the resumption of peaceful negotiations, and other matters. Following the military operations and numerous meetings and consultations with military figures, commanders, and fighters involved in the war, we concluded that measures should be taken to immediately stop the war, which we have repeatedly communicated to the current President of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, urging him to appeal to the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. On October 18, Araik Harutyunyan also reached this conclusion and sought our support in this matter, receiving our consent.

The cessation of military operations was emphasized by the former Presidents of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharian, and Serzh Sargsyan. On October 19, the President of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, prepared relevant letters regarding the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of the negotiation process under the OSCE Minsk Group, addressed to the presidents of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Prime Minister of Armenia. However, Prime Minister Pashinyan argued that in the context of the situation created by Azerbaijani politics, sending these letters had lost its relevance. This is the whole truth.

Regarding the Prime Minister's statements that do not correspond to reality, we find it necessary at this time to refrain from commenting to avoid unnecessary speculation and unfounded discussions.

Below are the texts of those letters:

To Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,
From the Second President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arkadi Ghukasian,
From the Third President of the Republic of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan.

Your Excellency Nikol Vova,
Consulting with all factions of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh and receiving their unanimous consent, on October 19 of this year, I addressed a letter-calling to the leaders of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, suggesting the immediate cessation of hostilities in the context of the humanitarian disaster created by the large-scale military operations in the region. I reaffirmed the readiness of the official Stepanakert to resume the negotiation process within the frameworks of the documents and principles previously proposed and discussed by the OSCE Minsk Group.

The Republic of Armenia is the main guarantor of the security of the Republic of Artsakh, and considering that the Republic of Artsakh is not actively participating in the negotiation process, I appeal to you to exert every possible effort to cease hostilities immediately and to resume the negotiation process based on the documents previously proposed and discussed by the OSCE Minsk Group.

With profound respect,
President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan.

To the leaders of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group,
His Excellency President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin,
His Excellency President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump,
His Excellency President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron.

In light of the ongoing large-scale military operations in the region, the presence of thousands of casualties and injuries from both sides, which has already led to a humanitarian disaster, I appeal to you as the elected President of the Republic of Artsakh, calling for all necessary steps to be taken to immediately cease hostilities and to resume the negotiation process.

Official Stepanakert has always been in favor of the peaceful resolution of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. We reaffirm our readiness to immediately resume the negotiation process based on the documents and principles previously proposed and discussed by the OSCE Minsk Group.

With profound respect,
President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan.

To the current President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan,
Your Excellency Araik Vladimir,
Considering the ongoing large-scale military operations in the region, the presence of thousands of casualties and injuries from both sides, which has already led to a humanitarian disaster, we hereby express our support for your efforts as the current President of the Republic of Artsakh aimed at stopping the war and resuming the negotiation process under the auspices of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

From the Second President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arkadi Ghukasian,
From the Third President of the Republic of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan.