STEPANAKERT, NKR (A.W.)—An Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) delegation met with Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) President Bako Sahakyan on April 6, to discuss the latest developments on the NKR Line of Contact (LoC). The delegation included ARF Bureau representative Hrant Markarian, representative of political affairs Armen Rustamyan, and parliamentary faction secretary Aghvan Vardanyan. The deputy chairman of the NKR National Assembly Vahram Balayan and other officials also attended the meeting.
An ARF delegation met with NKR President Bako Sahakyan on April 6. (Photo: Official NKR President website)
According to a statement released by President Sahakyan’s office, the meeting addressed a range of domestic and foreign policy questions, while special attention was paid to the large-scale combat operations launched by Azerbaijan from April 1-4 and their consequences.
President Sahakyan noted that the entire Armenian nation demonstrated exemplary unity and cohesion during the heightened conflict, and highlighted the role of political forces—namely the ARF—in this process.
The NKR Defense Army and the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan reportedly agreed at around noon on April 5 to halt the fighting along the LoC, in light of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group negotiations.
Chief of the Operations Division of the NKR Defense Army Viktor Arustamyan told reporters on April 5 in Stepanakert that during the 4 days of fighting, the Armenian side suffered 29 casualties and 101 wounded, reported Civilnet. He also noted that the NKR forces lost 14 tanks, while Azerbaijan lost 24.
On April 2, the ARF’s Supreme Body in Armenia issued a statement condemning the attack, and declaring that the ARF stands beside the governments of the NKR and Armenia in their efforts to safeguard the security of both republics and their populations. The ARF also called on all Armenian organizations and the public to respond to Azerbaijan’s aggression in a unified manner to impose peace on the aggressor.
The ARF Eastern Region and Western Region Central Committees also issued a joint statement on Baku’s recent escalation of violence along the LoC, pledging solidarity and support to the people of Artsakh and the state structures of Artsakh and Armenia.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: NKR President Meets with ARF Representatives