STATEMENT

of the

REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The current legal and political status of the Republic of Artsakh has been formed through the expression of the will of the people in three referendums, adoption of the Constitution based on their results, and a nationwide consensus reached among the Armenians in previous years.

The Armenians of Artsakh are well aware of the price of peace. The statehood of Artsakh, the right to live freely and independently in its historical homeland are absolute values, and even the threat of war cannot force us to renounce them.

Any negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan within the "peace" agenda, which presupposes the forcible incorporation of Artsakh into Azerbaijan, as well as the signing of a document resulting from it, undermines not only the statehood of Artsakh, but also violates the inalienable right of the Armenians of Artsakh to live in their historical homeland.

We demand that the authorities of the Republic of Armenia abandon the current catastrophic position and be guided exclusively by these values. No government has the right to agree in the negotiation process to lower the bar on the status; unacceptable for Artsakh, as well as on the internationally recognized right to self-determination under the pretext of "peace".

On behalf of the Armenians of Artsakh, we appeal to:

• Armenians all over the world to stand united and resolutely by their brothers and sisters of Armenia and Artsakh in this just struggle.
• our colleagues in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to not deviate from the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia of July 8, 1992
• the leadership of the Russian Federation, during this extremely important peacekeeping mission for us not to give anyone a reason to speculate on emerging problems as a basis to cast doubt on the further security of the people of Artsakh.
• the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, regardless of other existing disagreements, to make efforts to preserve the only internationally mandated format for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Stepanakert

                                                                                                               14.04.2022