STEPANAKERT, NKR (A.W.)—Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Foreign Affairs Minister Karen Mirzoyan said that the final settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict is only possible through the international recognition of Artsakh’s right of to self-determination.
During a recent interview with Armenia-based Tert.am, Mirzoyan noted that the recent meetings of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Vienna and St. Petersburg were important milestones, since they helped eliminate damages caused to the peace negotiations as a result of Azerbaijan’s wide scale attack on NKR in early April. Mirzoyan also stressed that NKR must be a participant in any negotiation.
Karen Mirzoyan
“The absence of one of the main parties to the conflict the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic at the negotiating table makes it difficult to achieve a final settlement to the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict. We believe that the restoration of the NKR’s direct participation in the negotiations proceeds from the interests of all parties concerned with the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict,” Mirzoyan said.
When asked about what compromises NKR is ready for in order achieve a final settlement to the conflict, Mirzoyan stressed that Artsakh’s people must have their right to self-determination internationally recognized. “The final settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict is possible only through the international recognition of the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to self-determination and of the Artsakh Republic, formed as a result of the implementation of that right,” he said.
During the interview, Mirzoyan also stressed that the international recognition of NKR continues to be a top priority for his government. “The international recognition of Artsakh will not only become a powerful tool in ensuring the security of the NKR, but will allow to focus on the development of the necessary mechanisms and conditions for the peaceful coexistence of two independent, sovereign states—the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic and Azerbaijan, which emerged as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the war imposed by Azerbaijan,” Mirzoyan said.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: NKR MFA: Artsakh’s Right to Self-Determination Must Be Internationally Recognized