“Free, fair, transparent and competitive elections, as an integral part of political processes in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic), are aimed at organizing the public life in the Republic and forming government through democratic procedure,” Artsakh Foreign Ministers Spokesman Artak Nersisyan has said.

“They can in no way have a negative impact on the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for a peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. This position has been confirmed in one form or another by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their numerous statements,” the Spokesperson said in comments to News.am.

The remarks come after the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesman called the upcoming elections “an attempt to undermine the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.”

“Moreover, the mediators have also noted the role of the people of Nagorno Karabakh in determining their future within the framework of the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. We believe that elections are one of the forms of expressing the will of the people, and therefore their conduct is fully consistent with the logic of a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” Artakh Nersisyan said.

“Azerbaijan’s negative reaction to the political processes in Artsakh is caused not by concern for the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which Baku itself undermines in every possible way, but the desire to exclude the very existence of Artsakh,” the Spokesperson said.

“It is obvious that the irreversibility of strengthening the statehood of Artsakh and its institutions causes a nervous reaction from Baku. Moreover, Azerbaijan’s rejection of the objective reality is one of the main obstacles in the process of the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict,” Nersisyan concluded.