ArmInfo. The Artsakh side has never refused to conduct direct negotiations between Stepanakert and Baku. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Sergey Ghazaryan stated on July 6 during the Yerevan-Stepanakert video bridge.
But, as Ghazaryan noted, in order for the dialogue to be constructive, Azerbaijan must follow certain criteria. Both representatives of the parties and international partners receive various proposals regarding the organization of the dialogue process. But for this, some elements need to be considered. On February 24 and March 1, with the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping forces, such negotiations were held, during which technical issues were discussed, but subsequently the Azerbaijani side launched a sabotage attack, as a result of which three policemen were killed and one was injured. <With such a development of events, it is not necessary to talk about dialogue. For dialogue, Azerbaijan should take the first step, namely, to open the road, ensuring the unhindered supply of food and medicine. This will be a sign for us to change approaches, namely, the readiness of the opposite side for dialogue>, said the head of the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh.
He noted that despite all these facts, negotiations are held periodically. Stepanakert, with the involvement of Russian peacekeepers, transmitted proposals to the Azerbaijani side, which were rejected by Azerbaijan. Answering a question about Baku's demands to disband the Artsakh Defense Army, Sergey Ghazaryan noted that he noted that the Artsakh Defense Army is the most important factor in protecting the security of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. Against the backdrop of aggressive actions and militant rhetoric on the part of Baku, it becomes obvious that such a development of events is impossible, and even more so, discussions on this issue. "The demand to disband the Defense Army has always been on the agenda of the Azerbaijani authorities, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke about this yesterday, but the Defense Army ensures the security of the people of Artsakh," the republic's Foreign Minister said.
Speaking about the letter of Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by the media, the minister noted that such letters are sent not only to the head of the Russian state, but also to the heads of various international organizations, politicians of various countries. "It's just that in the current situation, the authorities of Artsakh took this step. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia had a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, during which he once again drew the attention of the head of the Russian state to the situation in Artsakh. We expect that the Russian peacekeepers, within the framework of the commitments made in accordance with the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, will make every effort to lift the blockade of Artsakh. Moreover, since June 15, it has not been possible to deliver food products or basic necessities to the republic. We are waiting for a response from the Russian side>, Ghazaryan emphasized.
Commenting on the statement by U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien that the United States considers the security of the Armenians of Artsakh within Azerbaijan possible, the Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Minister stressed that against the backdrop of what happened in recent months, Stepanakert expects more active involvement in the process of peaceful settlement of the problem, and not only at the level of calls or statements, but by concrete actions. "They bear a share of responsibility for the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, primarily for the prevention of ethnic cleansing. This is not their right, but their responsibility>, the Artsakh Foreign Minister noted.