The NA Foreign Relations Committee convened an extraordinary session to discuss the situation in Artsakh and the bombing of the residential areas of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan was invited to the meeting and presented what the ministry has done.
“At 4 o’clock, a meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry with ambassadors of the diplomatic corps accredited in RA and representatives of international organizations. The general situation was presented, and the work continues in all directions with the involvement of all embassies. Also, separate meetings are held with ambassadors accredited to Armenia to take steps to stop Azerbaijan’s aggression.”
Armenia faction MP Armen Rustamyan asked: According to Azerbaijan, Russia was informed about the attack in advance. According to your information, was it announced before or after the attack? Safaryan answered. “I met the Russian Ambassador today; he informed me that they were not informed in advance; they were only informed a few minutes ago.”
Read also
Rustamyan asked: when you met with the ambassadors, what was the purpose, whether to condemn Azerbaijan’s actions or save them from genocide? What was your approach? What steps should we take to protect the Armenian population? The deputy minister replied that information had been submitted. Rustamyan said there were examples in the world when the state was recognized for salvation when there was a question of saving the people. Is that principle a subject of discussion in the Foreign Ministry or not? “Armenia has announced the establishment of a peaceful agenda in the region and is proceeding along that path. Negotiations are underway, and we aim to ensure the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan resorted to large-scale aggression; now, all possible measures are being discussed to stop this aggression.”
Rustamyan conveyed the approaches of Azerbaijan that we are solving two problems: there are allegedly illegal groups there, and they consider the Armed Forces of Artsakh to be a banned terrorist organization and have set the task of eliminating that organization.
Secondly, they have a mission to dissolve the “management regime,” which means to abolish the institutions that the people of Karabakh have formed: the National Assembly and the presidency. So he asked: “Did you ask the ambassadors that it is an inalienable right to form one’s government in any compact area? Where should we listen to the official position of RA to say that these are not illegal terrorist units but the defense army? You only say that we don’t have troops there, that is, we have to defend ourselves alone so that Azerbaijan doesn’t suddenly say that you have troops there too; what do you say to that? Do you also consider that there are illegal authorities there which must be dissolved?”
Safaryan answered that they discuss these issues with their colleagues first. “The issues you mentioned are the essence of the problem; it should be ensured through the international dialogue mechanism between Stepanakert and Baku; now Azerbaijan is trying to abort this agenda.” As for the institutions of Artsakh, Safaryan said that, of course, they are not illegal; the population of Nagorno-Karabakh has the right to have representatives and be protected from ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Civil Contract MP Arusyak Julhakyan asked. “The Spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry said: we know what needs to be done to settle the situation; we must fulfill the agreements and not provoke the situation. Are you aware of whom the speaker accuses of provoking the situation and what kind of agreement we are discussing? Mnatsakan Safaryan answered. “I haven’t had time to familiarize myself with his statements as of this moment fully, but RA has fulfilled all its obligations and is fulfilling them.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
