ArmInfo. Attempt to resolve Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict through territorial concessions has no prospects, because it does not reflect the real essence of the conflict. Similar opinion was expressed to ArmInfo by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Artsakh Republic Masis Mayilyan.
"The conflict between us and Azerbaijan is not a territorial dispute. This is evidenced by the fact that the territories around the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Region were under the control of Baku in 1988. Thus, expecting the settlement of the conflict through unilateral territorial concessions from Artsakh is at least illogical. This is our principled position , repeatedly voiced by the leadership of Artsakh. We consider returning to the past unacceptable and therefore impossible. Moreover, both in the matter of status and in the matter of any territories ", the diplomat. stressed
Since 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group, represented by the co-chairs from Russia, the United States and France, has been involved in resolving the Karabakh conflict. At present, the settlement process is proceeding on the basis of the Madrid Principles put forward by the OSCE Minsk Group in 2007 and the Madrid Principles updated in 2009, among other things providing for territorial concessions from Artsakh and the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent in the conflict zone. The matter concerns at least six districts of the republic.
Mayilyan assesses the surrender of territories as a direct threat to the security of the Artsakh people, a prerequisite for the destruction of the security system of both Artsakh and Armenia. Considering that this will threaten the existence of the population in their historic homeland, this question has existential significance for the Artsakh people.
"We should treat the statements of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, from which it follows that the strategic goal of the country is to seize Artsakh, the Syunik region of Armenia and even its capital Yerevan, quite seriously. Accordingly, military and political-diplomatic measures to restrain the aggressive and expansionist intentions of the Baku leadership is still a necessity, and the surrender of territories to a neighbor with a similar attitude doesn't fit into these measures at all, "the Artsakh Foreign Minister summed up.