Artsakh people in charge of their own fate: Armenia parliament speaker

November 10, 2017 - 14:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia is the guarantor of Artsakh's security while the people of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) are in charge of their fate, Armenian parliament speaker Ara Babloyan said at a session of interparliamentary cooperation committee of the two Armenian states.

According to him, no body or agency can adopt a resolution contradicting Artsakh's position.

"Artsakh's existence and status as part of Azerbaijan is impossible and unacceptable. In order to push the negotiations forward, Baku must abandon the thought of imagining Artsakh inside Azerbaijan even in theory," Babloyan said Friday, November 10.

Weighing in on the constitutional referendums in both Armenia and Karabakh, Babloyan said they contributed to raise the level of efficient management and democracy in the two countries.

The peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict was discussed in Vienna at a special meeting on Thursday.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.