“On May 3, 2015, the sixth regular parliamentary elections were held in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) with over 70% turnout. The elections were held in a free and competitive atmosphere and in full compliance with the international standards, as assessed by more than 100 international observers from around 30 countries,” the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“The parliamentary elections have reaffirmed the fact that elections, as a key element for the functioning of any democratic system, have become an integral part of the political culture of Artsakh. Free, fair, transparent and competitive elections, being an inalienable mechanism of political processes in the NKR, are aimed at organizing the public life of the republic and forming the government by democratic means, which, in turn, serves as a basis for promoting human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law,” the statement reads.

“The elections, as an expression of will of the people of Artsakh, whose role in deciding its future was unequivocally emphasized in the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on 30 April 2015, are also essential for maintaining the stability in the region as well as for the just and peaceful settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh,” the Ministry said.