Security Council Secretary: Artsakh will be an Armenian entity and  will never be a part of Azerbaijan

ArmInfo.Let no one even think that Artsakh will not have the Armed Forces. Secretary of the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh Vitali Balasanyan stated this in  an interview with Artsakh Public Television, recalling that it is the  Defense Army that is the guarantor of ensuring the security of the  NKR.

 Balasanyan stressed that the protection of the borders of  Artsakh is carried out by the Defense Army, as well as the police and  the NSS of Artsakh, which make up a single whole.  At the same time,  he stressed that Artsakh had, has and will have Armed Forces, more  mobile and more combat-ready.

"When we talk about structural changes in the Defense Army, we mean a  more mobile, more combat-ready army, each soldier must be a fighter.   We have already begun replenishment of our military units, including  on a contract basis, the pace is normal, better than planned. social  issues, and I would urge the people of Artsakh to take an active part  in this process, "he said, adding that if the Armenian side has hard  times, then for Azerbaijan they are doubly or even triple harder,  since both Baku and Ankara suffered heavy losses. including in  manpower and from a financial point of view.  At the same time,  Balasanyan said that changes are being made in the law, the age  qualification will be increased: medical examination, then training,  possession of weapons, etc. "We cooperate with the Armed Forces of  the Republic of Armenia, there will always be cooperation, and those  who shake their fingers in our direction , I advise and urge to  recall past wars and know that this is not a victory of the Republic  of Azerbaijan. Let them show the victory that Turkey and Azerbaijan  are talking about today, "said the Secretary of the Artsakh Security  Council, adding that when today the President of Azerbaijan declares  that the Karabakh issue has been resolved, he is no longer on the  agenda, and is waving on the territory of the Republic of Armenia in  Syunik and Tavush, let him know that the Karabakh issue has never  been resolved by military means, and Stepanakert will not allow it to  be resolved by force.  "We will maintain the status quo. Our struggle  will continue. I am sure that the people of Artsakh are not 90%, but  100% ready to continue their struggle. Artsakh will have its own  status, mark my words, we will participate in the negotiations, and  Artsakh will be a subject and will never be a part of Azerbaijan, "he  said.  At the same time, giving an overall assessment of the  situation in Karabakh, Balasanyan made a historical excursion and  recalled that in 1920-21 there was a more difficult situation. "And  we must glorify our people who have emerged from all trials with  honor? I have said and insist that the Artsakh issue has never been  resolved and cannot be resolved by military means," he said, while  wondering why it happened 27 September.  Balasanyan believes that the  "trigger" for these actions was the position of the current Armenian  authorities on the settlement of the conflict on the need to start  everything from scratch.  He recalled that after the April 2016  hostilities, as a result of negotiations in St. Petersburg, Geneva  and Vienna, it was possible to reach agreements on the introduction  of investigation mechanisms along the line of contact, the de facto  state border of Artsakh, which made it possible to attract to the  responsibility of the party that violated the regime that was in  force from 1994 to 2016, since in so far as, but in the new  situation, this regime would have been fixed. 

He recalled that these agreements also provided for the expansion of  the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE  Chairman-in-Office Andrzej  Kasprzyk.  

"What do we see after 2018. The statement" Artsakh is Armenia and  that's all. It is impossible to make such a statement.  On the  contrary, Armenia should have done everything to increase the  subjectivity of Artsakh, both from a political, military and economic  point of view. We are not now in a worse situation than in June 1993.   By pooling our resources today, including our diaspora, we can get  out of this difficult situation. I am sure that we will get out, and  now we are developing an appropriate policy for its implementation,  "the secretary assured Balasanyan, adding that the Security Council  is developing a concept to be adopted after discussion.  Touching  upon the activities of the peacekeepers in Artsakh, Balasanyan noted  that no one can decide or replace the issue of security in the place  of the Karabakh people. "In this case, Russian peacekeepers  complement our security, cooperation with them continues. They make  sure that there are no violations of conditions, there are no  provocations, inclinations. But we see that from time to time  Azerbaijan tries to resort to provocations. We have nothing to do  with it. to this document, as was the case with the ceasefire in  1994. This document has no legal force for Artsakh, but we respect  the Russian peacekeeping contingent, all our meetings and contacts  are official, they help maintain peace, but I am sure that the  Defense Army is capable of solving the security component,  "Balasanyan assured. He once again called Ilham Aliyev's assertion  that" Artsakh is Azerbaijan "groundless and assured that the day will  come when the Karabakh authorities will sit down at the negotiating  table with Azerbaijan. in Armenia, Balasanyan stated that the  internal political tension in the RA naturally negatively affects  Nagorno-Karabakh as well. In his words, Armenia is practically  isolated today, there are no proper contacts with the outside world,  and this issue should be resolved in a short time by political, not  military, means. Balasanyan informed about Artsakh's readiness to  provide assistance to Armenia by political means to resolve the  current crisis.