Araik Harutyunyan Issues Statement

The people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) are hopeful as they await the extraordinary session of the UN Security Council today, the subsequent processes, and, ultimately, tangible results from those efforts. This was stated by the President of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, on his Facebook page.

“This meeting is a litmus test not only for the real positions and behaviors of the international community and its specific actors regarding Artsakh, but also for the international community's legal and moral obligations to prevent genocide, and to guarantee the rights and freedoms of individuals and peoples. Our expectation and demand from the UN Security Council is to restore the unhindered and bilateral movement of people, vehicles, and cargo through the Lachin Corridor, in accordance with the orders of the International Court of Justice and the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020. After ensuring a sufficient and favorable environment and international guarantees for the livelihood of our people, we are ready to engage in the international process for a comprehensive and fair resolution of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.

We have repeatedly emphasized our position that the resolution of this conflict should primarily be based on the principles of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh and the prevention of genocide. Moreover, the people of Artsakh have exercised their right to self-determination without harming Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Therefore, attempts to juxtapose the principles of self-determination and territorial integrity are unfounded,” he wrote.