President's Statement on Behalf of the People of Artsakh

For the fourth consecutive day, Azerbaijan has been blockading the 120,000 residents of Artsakh under the guise of an "emotional" and attention-grabbing environmental pretext, thereby placing the Armenian population of Artsakh on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. This was stated by the President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, on his Facebook page.

He also noted, "But as we can see, the people of Artsakh have not kneeled and are dignifiedly overcoming the nearly unimaginable contemporary processes and the difficulties, sufferings, and humanitarian consequences that are incompatible with a civilized human in the 21st century. In this regard, I declare on behalf of the people of the Republic of Artsakh that the people of Artsakh advocate for peace, stability, and fraternal relations among nations in the region. The people of Artsakh are open to discussions on any issues and problems, prepared to build constructive relations based on mutual respect for rights."

"We consider it unacceptable to impose threats of coercion, the use of force, and call for a final abandonment of the idea of ethnically cleansing Artsakh, which served as the starting point for the Artsakh liberation struggle and is an inseparable part of Azerbaijan's state policy. Only under these conditions will the will to achieve peace be appreciable, and peace be genuine, real, and tangible."

"The people of Artsakh have made a decision to resist encroachments on their rights and to bear the physical deprivations inflicted upon us with dignity, thus neutralizing all possible attempts to force concessions upon the Mother Armenia and the conditions that constrain this decision," he added.

"We express our gratitude to the Republic of Armenia and our compatriots in the diaspora, who are raising their voices about the crimes being committed against the citizens of the Republic of Artsakh these days, informing the international community, initiating legal processes, and simply encouraging and supporting the people of Artsakh."

"We also extend our gratitude to the Russian peacekeepers for remaining steadfast in their mission. For days on end, they have stood by the people of Artsakh with a resolute and unwavering presence, without succumbing to provocations, insulting displays, and disdainful attitudes. We highly appreciate the conscious steps taken by the peacekeepers to alleviate our people’s humanitarian issues and will continue our struggle, ensuring we are never used as a tool to pressure the Russian Federation or to damage its reputation, as we firmly believe in the unwavering commitment to resolving issues through diplomacy and dialogue in the Russian Federation."