Armenian FM avoids answering direct questions about Artsakh`s status

ArmInfo.Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan avoided answering direct questions about the status of Artsakh and Yerevan's fulfillment of obligations to  Stepanakert as the main guarantor of the right to self-determination.

Thus, at the March 21 sitting of the Standing Committee on Foreign  Relations of the National Assembly, MP of the "Hayastan" opposition  faction, member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Armen Rustamyan asked to  give a clear answer to three questions: In particular, about the fact  that the Armenian authorities guarantee that Artsakh will not be part  of Azerbaijan under any circumstances, the enclave state of Artsakh  will be excluded and the obligations of Armenia as a guarantor of the  realization of the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to  self-determination will be restored, Mirzoyan just assumed that  Rustamyan represents, most likely, party representations of the ARF.

"The Civil Contract Party, which I represent, has repeatedly  presented its position as a political force and as a government on  all issues of concern. Moreover, it also represented them during the  election campaign and these presentations are focused on building  regional peace and stability. And the theses voiced during the  election campaign found sufficient support among our citizens, which  allowed the Civil Contract Party to form a government," Mirzoyan  said, repeating in this vein that the vector of the current Cabinet  is building peace in the region.

At the same time, he assured that, of course, one of the key  components in this process is the resumption of peace talks on the  Karabakh issue, the signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan after  the relevant negotiations. "I can add that the rights of the  Armenians of Artsakh and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh are  fundamental and priority for us," Mirzoyan concluded.   Responding to the statements of the Armenian Foreign Minister,  Rustamyan expressed his surprise that the country's chief diplomat  considers the issues raised by him a party approach. "Don't you know  that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic proclaimed its independence with  the Declaration of Independence? Then there was a referendum, and  after that two constitutions were adopted, where Article 175 clearly  states how the people of Artsakh see the solution to the Karabakh  issue. I just want to understand, whether your government refuses to  fulfill these requirements or not? Does it refuse to implement the  will of the people of Artsakh envisaged by Article 175 or not? I  think I'm being very clear what I'm asking. This means the status of  Artsakh outside of Azerbaijan, and I have put it very mildly.  Meanwhile, the people of Artsakh have formed this more clearly -  independence. "The second [question] I also have put very clearly -  the exclusion of the enclave state of Artsakh, since we already have  enclaves that are no longer Armenian and this also came from our  strategy. And the fact that Armenia is the guarantor of the  realization of the right of the people of Artsakh to  self-determination is not written in the ARF program, this is written  in our strategy. Do you refuse this?" Rustamyan asked, to which  Mirzoyan only shrugged off by repeating the phrase about the  principles for the RA authorities of questions about the status of  Artsakh and the rights of the Artsakh people.