Artsakh National Assembly Comments on Aliyev's Statement

The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh has issued a statement regarding the remarks made by the President of Azerbaijan on May 28.

“The statements by the President of Azerbaijan on May 28 once again contained blatant threats against the people and authorities of Artsakh, violating well-known norms of international law and Azerbaijan's international commitments. This time, by demanding the disbandment of the democratically elected bodies of the Artsakh people—including the President and the National Assembly, as well as other state institutions—the Azerbaijani leader has once again proven his willingness to continue the policy of ethnic cleansing and territorial usurpation against the people of Artsakh through the use of force and the threat of force. This is further evidence that the people of Artsakh simply cannot live within Azerbaijan due to the existential dangers stemming from the prevailing anti-Armenian and anti-Artsakh policies there.

The people of Artsakh have chosen their path of self-determination, sovereignty, and state-building, with the President and the National Assembly being its cornerstones. Therefore, we emphatically condemn such attacks on the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, sovereignty, and security, as well as threats of resuming military actions that endanger peace in the region.

Addressing all actors of the international community, including the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia that signed the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, as well as all contributors to peace and stability in the region, we expect their practical and active actions to lift the nearly six-month blockade of Artsakh and to prevent other ongoing violations, as well as to avert new crimes against the people of Artsakh, including potential military aggression by Azerbaijan.

It is the duty of the international community to guarantee the security of the people of Artsakh, who pose no threat to international peace and simply strive to live freely and with dignity on their native land, based on the fundamental norms of international law. The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, as the highest body elected by the people, will continue to fulfill its primary mission of state-building and protecting our rights to live freely, regardless of the repeated threats from Azerbaijan.