«I do not see Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan»: Garik Sargsyan responds to the question

«I do not see Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, as the people of Artsakh live there, the Armenian people live there, and that people decide. Just as the right to self-determination of nations is on the table, so too is the right to territorial integrity.»

This was stated by Garik Sargsyan, the mayor of Vedi, in an interview with 24news.am.

He noted that from the standpoint of international law, these are equal rights and should not be subordinated.

The mayor, who is affiliated with the ruling Civil Contract party, also expressed his wish that Artsakh were not a separate republic, as determined by a referendum in the past, but rather joined Armenia and became the 11th province.

In response to reports circulating in Azerbaijani media regarding a compromise concerning seven villages and Tigranashen, Garik Sargsyan remarked: “I do not believe there will be a compromise regarding any enclave within the borders of Armenia. If such a problem arises, it will lead to a new war, which is not in the interest of either side at this moment.”