No Negotiations with Azerbaijan on Gas Restoration, Says Artsakh Presidential Administration

The press service of the Artsakh Presidential Administration has issued a statement denying media reports that an agreement has been reached with the Azerbaijani side to restore gas supply in exchange for handing over the Karaglukh height.

The statement reads: "Numerous appeals and requests regarding the necessity of ensuring internal harmony and unity are not enough for some individuals to temporarily temper their narrow personal and political ambitions, particularly during this tense and responsible phase of life for the Republic of Artsakh, as attempts continue to harm the Republic with false information.

Specifically, on March 27, 2022, the news website 'oragir.news' published information claiming that the President of the Republic of Artsakh Araik Harutyunyan and the head of the RA NSS Armen Abazyan had visited Shushi four days earlier and agreed to the Azerbaijani proposal to hand over the Karaglukh height under the guise of mirrored withdrawal from positions. This is clearly false and misleading information. No one has ever negotiated with the Azerbaijani side on behalf of the Republic of Artsakh regarding the compromise proposal to restore gas supply, and even more so, the President of the Republic.

Moreover, the disruption of gas supply by Azerbaijan has been consistently presented by us as a humanitarian issue that should be resolved exclusively within that framework. In discussions with Russian peacekeepers, we emphasized that the Republic of Artsakh is even prepared to forgo gas usage, but will never allow Azerbaijan to use it as a tool to oppress and terrorize the population of Artsakh.

It is clear that the international community has rightly viewed the issue of gas supply as part of humanitarian problems, urging Azerbaijan to refrain from such behavior and lift deliberate obstacles. Azerbaijan could not resist such pressures and calls for long. This explains the recent statements from the Azerbaijani side regarding the gas issue, as well as our resistance to those pressures.

As for the false publication by 'oragir.news', despite the current heavy workload, President Araik Harutyunyan does not rule out the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the clear defamation against him. The President has always tried to refrain from responding to unfounded and irresponsible statements, striving primarily to bear the burden of maintaining solidarity, but events indicate that in such situations, especially in the case of such defamation, relying on legal mechanisms has become a necessity.

Once again, we ask and demand that everyone refrain from any attempts to disseminate false information that could divide the public and incite internal hostility," noted in the statement released by the press service of the Artsakh Presidential Administration.