July 20, 2012 - 19:09 AMT
Latvia doesn’t recognize NKR presidential poll

Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not recognize the presidential elections in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic.

In this context, the Ministry expresses concern over the lack of progress in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the escalation of incidents and the rising number of victims. The Ministry holds that a peaceful resolution must be achieved on the basis of the Madrid Principles and supports the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts in the resolution of the conflict. The Foreign Ministry calls on all parties involved to solve the conflict through negotiations, according to the official website of Latvia’s Foreign Ministry.

According to preliminary results of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic’s Central Election Commission, the incumbent leader, Bako Sahakyan, gained 47 085 (66,7%) of the votes to win the presidential race.

His major rival Vitaly Balasanyan garnered 22 966 (32,5%) of votes while Arkady Soghomonyan received 594 (0,8%) of votes.