A Meeting of the Security Council Held in Artsakh: What Is Known

The President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, in response to the proposals of political forces represented in the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, convened an expanded session of the Security Council on October 3rd, with the participation of a high-ranking group of officials, representatives of all parliamentary forces, and the leader of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Recent military-political developments surrounding the Republic of Artsakh were discussed. As a result of the interested discussions that took place, the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh unanimously issued a statement, which we present below.

“Being concerned about the severe challenges posed by the developments occurring in the world and our region, reaffirming the positions of the executive and legislative branches of the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh regarding the future of Artsakh, referring to the address of the President of the Republic of Artsakh on September 19 of this year, and taking into account the subsequent developments, particularly the concerns expressed by our public regarding certain thoughts and views voiced in the interview given by the Prime Minister of Armenia to public television on September 30, the participants of the expanded meeting of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh declare:

1. We acknowledge that as a result of the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression in 2020 and the ensuing two years of military-political developments, we have a situation where Azerbaijan, with the unequivocal support of Turkey, has gained influential leverage and is aggressively using it to implement its expansionist ambitions. Azerbaijan's actions are accompanied by a consistent application of force and threats of force, escalating manifestations of state-sponsored hatred, and gross violations of fundamental norms of international law. Azerbaijan strives to secure not only a dominant and dictatorial position in its relations with the Republic of Armenia but also to thwart any formats and efforts aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, declaring that it has resolved this issue through war. In contrast, the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group and other international actors have reaffirmed the existence of the conflict and the necessity for its comprehensive resolution in various formulations.
2. The position of the Republic of Artsakh has always been clear, that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved based on the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and the full and unquestionable recognition of its results. It is undisputable that in 1991, the people of Artsakh exercised their right to self-determination in accordance with international law and the norms of Soviet legislation, and Artsakh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. Moreover, the non-recognition of the Republic of Artsakh does not imply the absence of the natural rights of the people of Artsakh and the fact of the existence of the Republic of Artsakh. Despite all challenges and difficulties, we will continue to pursue our chosen path of determining and managing our destiny independently in our homeland.
3. The long-term and sustainable security of Artsakh must be ensured through both our own defense capabilities and the indefinite mission of Russian peacekeepers, as well as through all possible means of the Republic of Armenia. Improving our own defense capabilities is an ongoing task and is under our constant attention. The Russian peacekeeping mission continues to remain the main international guarantor of the security of the people of Artsakh, despite the additional challenges of recent months. In this context, we consider attempts to deteriorate traditional relations with natural allies to be extremely dangerous.
4. The Republic of Artsakh and Artsakh Armenians stand by the Statehood and people of Mother Armenia in overcoming all vital challenges, as this is implied by our national values and interests. We understand that a possible signing of an interstate agreement aimed at normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan could become an important foundation for ensuring the sovereign and secure future of the Republic of Armenia and for regional stability and peace. However, given the unavoidable presence and significance of the interests of the Artsakh Armenians, who are an inseparable part of the Armenian people in those relations, we emphasize that any document that could disregard the existence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, jeopardize the prospect of its just resolution, and limit the possibilities for the international recognition of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and its results, including through a false agenda subordinating it to the principle of territorial integrity, is unacceptable for us. In this context, we value the periodic consultations of the authorities of Artsakh and Armenia on this topic, within which the Prime Minister of Armenia presents the details of the international negotiations to the President of Artsakh, and the President, in turn, presents the positions of the Artsakh authorities, including disagreements.
5. Over the past three decades, both the logic and practical steps of the Armenian people's national-liberation struggle and state-building process have been constructed by harnessing the capabilities of all Armenians and correctly guiding the political support of our friends and allies. Considering the positive experience of the past, we underline that the best guarantee of overcoming the difficult and heavy challenges facing the Armenian people is the manifestation of national unity. We have always highly appreciated the continuous support of the entire Armenian people and the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Artsakh, without which we could not have recorded a number of important successes in our struggle. In this regard, maintaining and strengthening the trinity of Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora is simply irreplaceable. National values and interests imply that regardless of everything, Mother Armenia must always be beside Artsakh in all directions, especially in terms of guaranteeing the security of the people of Artsakh and the international recognition of the right to self-determination.
6. It is undeniable that the beneficiary of the future of Artsakh is the entire Armenian nation, and the interests of Armenia and Artsakh must be viewed as a single entity. Especially considering the post-war context and challenges, we emphasize that as long as the Republic of Artsakh is not included in the conflict resolution process on a full-fledged basis and within the framework of a high-level international format, it is the responsibility and authority of the Republic of Armenia to represent and defend the rights and interests of the people of Artsakh in international platforms. These obligations and powers are enshrined in various internal and international documents of the Republic of Armenia, including the documents of the OSCE and the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020. Therefore, we are prepared to negotiate with Azerbaijan around the resolution of the conflict if a full-format negotiation process is restored, wherein the Republic of Artsakh is recognized as a full party.

The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh will continue to monitor the developments in the world and the region diligently, taking appropriate steps towards managing the risks arising from the situation.