Rubin Vardanyan on Aliyev's Statement

The Prime Minister of Artsakh, Rubin Vardanyan, has commented on the statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. On his Facebook page, he wrote: “I welcome Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s desire to initiate direct dialogue with Artsakh. It is essential that Artsakh be a subject in this process. I also welcome the creation of a new format for direct negotiations with international mediation. France, which recently adopted a resolution recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh, must be involved among the international mediators alongside Russia and the United States. Let me also suggest that we move to a more constructive tone and seek clarifications regarding the 'clear agenda' that, according to Mr. Aliyev, I supposedly have. I have repeatedly emphasized that I renounced my Russian citizenship to avoid accusations of pursuing anyone's interests in Artsakh but those of the Artsakh people. I believe I fully meet the criteria for a negotiator put forward by Mr. Aliyev: 'living in Karabakh and wishing to live there.' War always returns with war. Sometimes this happens even after several generations have passed. Today’s aggression is a deferred-action bomb placed under the future generations of our peoples. This means that the leaders of both sides must take full responsibility and, no matter how difficult it may be, come to the negotiating table and stop the bloodshed,” wrote the Prime Minister of Artsakh.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Baku is ready to talk with “the Armenians living in Karabakh.” According to APA agency, he said, “We are ready to talk to the Armenians living in Karabakh, but not to people like Vardanyan, who was sent by Moscow with a very clear agenda.”