ArmInfo. In response to a written appeal sent on May 24 to the president of the republic from political parties represented in the country's parliament, President Arayik Harutyunyan convened an expanded meeting of the Security Council on May 25.
According to the press service of the NKR leader, Harutyunyan stressed that the wording about ensuring "the rights and security of the ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh" in the statement of the President of the European Council Charles Michel is extremely unacceptable for the people and authorities of Artsakh. The head of state noted at the same time that it does not reflect the demands and aspirations of the Armenians of Artsakh, clearly voiced to the international community over the past thirty years and based on the right of peoples to self-determination.
According to Harutyunyan, he had the opportunity to meet with the RA Prime Minister and discuss the Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting held in Brussels on May 22. In this regard, he would like to reaffirm that the exclusive right to decide the fate and status of Artsakh belongs to the people and authorities of Artsakh. According to the president, Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that no one can and is not going to sign any document behind the backs of the people of Armenia and Artsakh. If there is a specific proposal for specific solutions, then it will be discussed with the authorities of Artsakh, and the public will be duly informed about it.
Harutyunyan emphasized that the Republic of Artsakh is steadily following the path of international recognition of independence through the full and unconditional realization of the right of its people to self- determination, and the proper provision of the rights and security of the people of Artsakh is possible only outside of Azerbaijan.
It should be noted that in the statement of the head of the European Council following the meeting with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the issue of transport communications, it is noted that the leaders agreed on the need to start unblocking transport communications. "They agreed on the principles governing transit between western Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan and between different parts of Armenia through Azerbaijan, as well as international transportation through the communication infrastructure of both countries. In particular, they agreed on the principles of border management, security, land fees, as well as customs rules in the context of international transportation. In the coming days, the vice-premiers will continue this work," Michel said. Charles Michel's statement does not say anything about the status and future of Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, in his statement, the head of the European Council, instead of the generally recognized term Nagorno-Karabakh, used the Azerbaijani term "Karabakh" and the wording "Armenian ethnic population of Karabakh." In addition, his statement does not mention any trilateral agreements at the level of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, or other generally accepted principles of settlement.