Turkey is a Party to the Conflict: Ruben Vardanyan on Turkey's Role in the Artsakh Issue

Artsakh is a separate entity that should participate in decision-making regarding its future. Artsakh's State Minister Ruben Vardanyan stated this in an interview with RTVI.

Vardanyan emphasized that one must realize that military rhetoric leads to a dead end, as positive or negative factors will regularly emerge in various countries. “If Azerbaijan didn’t have oil, if Turkey had not decided to get involved in the war to the extent that it has, and many other factors... We are in one situation now, another will arise tomorrow, and in this way, we will be endlessly at war. We need to think about the fact that this cannot continue indefinitely,” he said.

Talking about Turkey's role, Ruben Vardanyan noted that Turkey is not a mediator; it is a party to the conflict, an ally, and it does not even hide this. “I believe not everyone in Azerbaijan is pleased that Turkey is so actively and aggressively interfering in the activities of the Azerbaijani leadership,” he remarked.

In early September, businessman Ruben Vardanyan announced that he was renouncing his Russian citizenship and moving to Artsakh. On October 20, he wrote on his Telegram channel that he agreed to lead the government of the Republic of Artsakh and take on the position of State Minister. By November 4, Vardanyan had assumed the office.