Monday, February 24 2020 13:54

ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan expressed surprise at the allegations that the principle of self-determination of peoples has been  relegated to the background.

So, on February 24, during a joint press conference with Slovakian  Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, answering the corresponding  question, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan emphasized  that the realization of the right of the people of Artsakh to  self-determination has been and remains on the agenda for resolving  the conflict.

In this regard, Mnatsakanyan recalled that this issue has never faded  into the background, because it is in the complex of inalienable  principles for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and for a  clear example I read part of his speech at the meeting of the OSCE  Ministerial Council in Bratislava, which emphasizes:  "The  inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination is a  fundamental principle and the basis for a peaceful settlement.  Recognition of this principle implies that determining the final  status of Artsakh cannot be subject to any restrictions, which must  be clearly and unequivocally accepted. The term indicates the right of the people Artsakh determine its  status with all jurisdiction, administration and territorial  integrity of Azerbaijan. The long-term hostile policy of Azerbaijan  and the actions arising from it create so for the people of Artsakh  existential threat to physical safety. "

Mnatsakanyan recalled that he said this two months ago in Bratislava  not for the first, and not the last time.  "This is an important  element of our approach to the settlement, it cannot be called into  question and it cannot be assumed that security and status can be  separated," the Foreign Minister said.  Touching upon the meeting  between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and  President of  Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Munich, as well as the voiced Munich  principles, the Armenian Minister stated that the principles voiced  during this meeting comprehensively reflect what Yerevan has been  talking about for a long time. According to him, the Munich  principles are designed to complement Yerevan's position on the  conflict, and are not new. He recalled the commitment of Yerevan to a  peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict under the auspices of  the OSCE Minsk Group, the importance of fulfilling the agreements  reached at the leadership level of the two countries. According to  Mnatsakanyan, the maximalist position of Azerbaijan on the  settlement, including regarding the right of the people of Artsakh to  self-determination, does not contribute to the settlement of the  conflict.

"We stand for achieving a mutually acceptable solution to the  conflict, based on compromises. There will be no unilateral  concessions. For us, the security of our citizens remains the most  important principle," Mnatsakanyan said. He also positively assessed  the format of the meeting Aliyev-Pashinyan, expressing satisfaction  with the openness of the Armenian society, and the ability to conduct  public discussions on this issue.