Artsakh Residents Will Continue Their Struggle for Self-Determination, Says MP

The Armenian population of Artsakh expressed its determination to continue the struggle for independence. This statement was made by Arthur Harutyunyan, the leader of the "Free Motherland - KMD" faction of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, in reference to the rally held in Stepanakert last night.

During the rally in Stepanakert, participants held placards with slogans such as "We are not citizens of Azerbaijan", "Artsakh is not Azerbaijan", "Aliyev is a terrorist", and "We want peace". Some of the attendees demanded that the President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, come and provide explanations on their concerns.

For clarifications, some of the protesters were met on-site by Arthur Tovmasyan, the President of the Artsakh National Assembly, and Arthur Harutyunyan, the leader of the majority "Free Motherland - KMD" faction.

According to MP Arthur Harutyunyan, the people of Artsakh will continue their fight for the region: "We have provided clarifications regarding our actions in the latest statement from the Security Council. The process will be ongoing, and information will be provided about the situation." On October 7, the factions of the Artsakh National Assembly issued a joint statement calling on the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group—Russia, the United States, France, and the other 190 member states of the UN—to recognize the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, thereby eliminating the severe existential threats facing its population.

MP Arthur Harutyunyan stated that they will continue their actions aimed at recognizing the independence of Artsakh: "We will continue our struggle for the realization of our right to self-determination." The leader of the majority faction noted that the President of Artsakh had expressed his position on this issue both in the message sent on September 15 and at the recent meeting of the Security Council of Artsakh. "The position is clear and will not change," he concluded.