NKR Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan’s answers to the questions asked during the NKR National Assembly and Government question and answer session at the NA April
Question: My question to the Foreign Minister is as follows: in the Karabakh conflict settlement process, the so-called Madrid Principles are on the negotiation table. What is the official stance of the NKR ?
Answer: Dear colleagues, thank you for the question. I think the answer to that question has been repeatedly voiced in the National Assembly as well as other structures not only by the Foreign Minister, but also those officials of Artsakh, who are authorized to express their views on these issues. We believe that any document, which was discussed and developed without the participation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, is simply not viable. And this is not only а conviction, but also a logical conclusion. That is why we insist, and you know our official view, that the Karabakh party should return to the negotiation table as full-fledged party to the negotiation process. And by saying the negotiation process we mean all its stages; from putting forward certain ideas to the development of a common philosophy of negotiations, also, if possible, the joint discussion of the arrangements reached, agreeing upon them, and, why not, also their implementation, i.e., putting them into effect.
Question: Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is arriving in Yerevan. The Russian Izvestiya newspaper has published an article about the so-called plan of Putin or Lavrov on the Karabakh settlement, which was developed after the four-day war and which Moscow seeks to carry out. Are you aware of this and, if so, what can you tell us in this regard?
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Answer: First of all, thank you for your interest shown in the foreign policy. Yes, I am aware of the article published in the Izvestiya daily newspaper, and surely, I have read it. But, when developing and implementing the foreign policy, we are not guided by newspaper articles. Let me remind you that these days, like in previous days, numerous articles were published, that were very contradictory. In our work we are guided by official statements of, say, Minister Lavrov, and other officials. And I advise to be guided by these statements and not by media publications.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC