Bako Sahakyan on the Position of Former Authorities

The former President of the Republic of Artsakh, Bako Sahakyan, discussed the relations between the authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, as well as the Artsakh issue, in an interview with Tert.am.

Mr. President, following the 2020 war, there has been much talk about discussions between the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh, especially after the April 2016 war regarding possible scenarios and solutions for the Nagorno-Karabakh process. What were these discussions about?

We have discussed various issues regarding Artsakh and the developments around it with the authorities of Armenia at different times. After the April 2016 military actions, we made great efforts in foreign policy and security directions to promote the interests of Artsakh, ensure a proper positioning in the negotiation process, prevent the resumption of military actions, and after the post-war recovery phase, to enter a new phase of development and security for Artsakh. Our cooperation and dialogue have been honest, straightforward, and constructive.

Mr. President, was there any scenario in the negotiation process that was imposed on the authorities of Artsakh by the former Armenian government? To ask directly, did the former authorities of Armenia impose unilateral concessions on Artsakh, specifically regarding territorial concessions?

I can say right away—no. The former authorities of Armenia did not make any unilateral concessions (territorial) offers; such a thing was not discussed. Our cooperation and dialogue with the leaders of Armenia have been honest, straightforward, constructive, and any discussions took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. Just like after the April military actions, before that as well, the leadership of Armenia has always shared with us various issues regarding the negotiation process, but these were not imposed; rather, they aimed to inform us, discuss it with us, and listen to our viewpoints.