ArmInfo.Stepanakert considers that in order to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region, it is necessary to restore full-fledged participation of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiation process for the settlement of the conflict, Spokesman of the President of Artsakh David Babayan stated in a conversation with the correspondent of ArmInfo.
"This is one of the key aspects for achieving an early settlement of the conflict. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not a full participant in the negotiations on the whims and destructive position of Azerbaijan. We adhere to the fact that we must be involved in all stages of negotiations from consideration of some proposals to the conclusion of specific agreements ", Babayan stressed.
At the same time, he stressed that the current status of Nagorno-Karabakh can not be a subject for negotiations. "There can be no question of any vertical interaction with Azerbaijan, since Artsakh has never been a part of independent Azerbaijan, and there can be no question of returning to the past, including on the issue of borders." Our position on this issue is tough, Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are well aware of it, "he said.
Asked to clarify whether this means that Stepanakert does not intend to make concessions on "transferring 7 districts," Babayan in particular said: "When we talk about borders, we always somehow have to make excuses of Azerbaijan on the issues of return of certain territories, speak about readiness for concessions. But I want to emphasize that today there is no question of territories, there is only a question of borders - and this is a broader concept. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was formed thanks to the merger of Northern Artsakh and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. It is our historical territory. Maybe Armenia, based on a number of geopolitical factors can not voice it, but we can. We have a legal, moral and psychological right to do that. "At the same time, he stressed that Artsakh has also the right to raise the issue of returning the territories of Nakhichevan. Touching upon the statement of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan at the parliament that he has documents in which not a word is said about the status of Artsakh, but only passing of territories is mentioned, Babayan advised to address the relevant competent Armenian structures on this issue . When asked if Stepanakert was familiar with such a document, he said that no. "We can only talk about Stepanakert's official position, I can only say that we have not received such documents, because Stepanakert is not a full participant in the negotiations and does not have access to documentation." We can only rely on what the co-chairs, Armenia and Azerbaijan tell us, " he summed up.
To note Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on September 12 that the latest document presented at the negotiating table on the Karabakh settlement, which he inherited from the previous authorities, did not touch upon the status of Artsakh at all, it only mentioned the return to Azerbaijan of the territories controlled by the Armenian side. "I make this statement officially as the Prime Minister of Armenia," Pashinyan said, adding that initially there was not a single document in the negotiations on the Karabakh settlement where it would be clearly stated about the status of Artsakh or whether it would be guaranteed in the future. "By 2018, the issue of NKR status at the negotiating table was generally put on the back burner," he stressed.