Lusine Avanesyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Stepanakert
The people of Nagorno Karabakh suffer most from the unsettled conflict, Artsakh’s Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan said at a meeting with residents of Kovsakan city in Kashatagh region.
“We are interested in registering rapid developments and progress in the negotiation process, but this does not mean it can happen at the expense of the interests of the people of Artsakh,” he said.
The Foreign Minister quoted Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan as saying that “no retreat from the achievements of the Artsakh people is possible.”
Karen Mirzoyan does not share the opinion that the people of NKR do not participate in the determination of their future. “We participate in the process, but we are not satisfied with the level of this participation. We demand larger involvement of Artsakh in the negotiation process,” he said.
He said even the Minsk Group co-chairing countries realize that resolution is impossible without the immediate participation of Karabakh. It’s only Azerbaijan denying this.
Speaking about the international recognition of Artsakh, the Foreign Minister said the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has an advantage compared to other unrecognized countries. “The state we have built is a viable and mighty state with all its shortcomings and unsolved issues,” he said, adding that this is the reason of Azerbaijan’s hysteric reaction to the visits of foreigners to Karabakh.
Asked why the Republic of Armenia does not recognize Artsakh, Karen Mirzoyan recalled the Armenian President’s statement that “Armenia will recognize Artsakh if there is no alternative.”
