ArmInfo. Former commander of the Karabakh Defense Army Samvel Babayan, who declared his presidential ambitions, responded to the call of the Prime Minister  of Armenia to speak about the formula "status instead of  territories."

So, in a statement by Babayan's office to ArmInfo, in particular, "An  interesting situation arose around the statement of the Prime  Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan about the negotiation process,  which he inherited from the former authorities. Finally, from the  mouth of the head of state – the main negotiator I heard from Armenia  that the basis of the negotiations was the surrender of all the  liberated territories, and that all three presidents negotiated in  this context. I declare with all responsibility that if it weren't  for the revolution in Armenia, we would have not only buffer  territories were given, but also Artsakh itself.The main merit of the  velvet revolution and Nikol Pashinyan was that the negotiations of  Serzh Sargsyan on the basis of the Madrid principles were disrupted  and the process of land handing was interrupted, but the negotiation  process nevertheless resumed, and again around the same Madrid  principles voiced by the Prime Minister during a joint meeting of the  Security Council of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh, that is, the  Armenian side today requires the same as under Serzh – this is a  rejection of all liberated territories (7 districts: Agdam, Fiz  whether Jerbrail, Zangelan, Kubatlu, Kelbajar and Lachin) and the  return of Azerbaijani refugees.

In fact, Nikol Pashinyan is now driven into a dead end. If he  continues the negotiation process in the form in which he got it, he  will be forced to sign under the condition of the surrender of land.  If he refuses the negotiation process, this will mean a refusal of  promises to Azerbaijan from the previous authorities to transfer the  land, which, accordingly, will provoke a war. Both the first scenario  and the second are unacceptable for all Armenians, especially those  living in Artsakh. However, the only outcome of the meeting of the  joint Security Council held by Pashinyan with the current authorities  of Artsakh was the Prime Minister's proposal to replace ambiguous,  with varying interpretations, wordings in the Madrid document.  Strangely enough, the parties agreed with all other principles and  points.  How can you agree with the Madrid principles, the basis of  which is the surrender of land and at the same time declare the  unacceptability of a concession to even an inch of land, it is  probably worth asking the applicants themselves – candidates for the  presidency of Artsakh. And for journalists who are willing to retype  the flash mob with such statements, I would advise before publishing  also to clarify what post each of today's <patriots> held during the  active negotiations with the previous authorities. If you did this,  dear journalists, you would see that in the summer of 2016, at the  very peak of the criminal negotiations, the current candidates were  in the same criminal echelon of power, and in the first positions.   If you, gentlemen, candidates are so categorically opposed to the  surrender of land, why none of you have ever opposed the concessions,  the criminal negotiation process and the inadmissibility of the  Madrid principles before the change of power in Armenia. Why didn't  you fight like me, and didn't go to jail for this, why didn't you go  on a hunger strike, didn't write open letters to the authorities,  with a forecast of the April outing of Azerbaijan, didn't give  numerous interviews to reach the public and reveal the criticality of  the situation.

And today you declare that you will take responsibility for the  future of Artsakh? First answer for the responsibility entrusted to  you in the past. I speak with you directly, without an army of media  and fakes bought. I ask you questions, unlike you, without hiding  behind the backs of others. Answer and you honestly. Why were you  silent, when before your eyes, with your tacit consent, the question  of the lands liberated by the blood of my people and my soldier was  being decided.

Why were you silent when the former authorities agreed to transfer  Artsakh to Azerbaijan on a silver platter with a bow? I am sure that  the new government in Armenia will soon reveal these and other  details of the negotiating backstage. Today we are all in a situation  no less difficult than we were in 1992, when Azerbaijan captured  almost half of Karabakh and intended to take Stepanakert. Only then  it happened through military operations, and now, with just a stroke  of the pen. The fact that Azerbaijan is dictating the terms of  negotiations today happened through the fault of the former  authorities of Armenia, as well as the former and current authorities  of Artsakh. The fact that today the Armenian side is forced to  bargain for peace in exchange for lands was due to the inaction of  those who today are trying to stay in power at all costs, who,  instead of building a powerful economy and a professional  combat-ready army, were engaged exclusively in personal enrichment.  It is time to finally understand that Azerbaijan will only abandon  the desire to return the land when it is sure that it will not  succeed in winning the war, when the power of our army will be  undeniable. Only having built a strong state, with a socially secure  population and a combat- ready army, can we make us reckon with our  interests and sit at the negotiating table on equal terms. So that I  would not interfere with the plan of land handing over, the previous  authorities tried to remove me from the political arena for more than  20 years. But today I am in Artsakh, together with my people, and if  the court does not make a fair decision, that is, does not restore me  in the right to participate in the presidential election, we will  introduce our candidate. In this case, at the extraordinary congress  of our party "Miasnakan Ayrenik" on February 9, the name of the new  presidential candidate who implements our party program will be  announced – this is, first of all, ensuring the security of the  Artsakh borders, launching effective repatriation mechanisms,  restoring military and economic power in the shortest possible time.  If today we do not unite around these goals, consider that we have  lost Artsakh.  Dear Armenians, my dear Artsakhians. I urge you today  to soberly face the truth and fully understand what is really  happening in these fateful days. You choose not between different  models of a prosperous life, but between whether or not to be  Artsakh, whether or not you and your children live on this earth. We  paid for the right to live in our homeland at the cost of blood. And  today they can sell us: those who live on this earth and perished for  this land. The threat of surrendering land or war is more relevant  than ever.  Therefore, I urge you to approach your choice with all  responsibility. There will no longer be a chance to correct the  error. He is only now, while we are still able to become the arbiters  of our destinies. " Earlier, Pashinyan, during a large press  conference on January 25 in Kapan, called on presidential candidates  in Artsakh to express an opinion on the legacy in the  Nagorno-Karabakh issue left by the previous Armenian authorities.

"Let's see what kind of legacy Serzh Sargsyan left in the Karabakh  issue. Recently, an article was published in one of the media that  essentially quoted the document at which point Serzh Sargsyan left  the negotiation process, and did not officially refute the previous  authorities Received …

Paragraph one: the ultimate goals of a comprehensive settlement of  the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were the return of 7 regions to  Azerbaijan – Agdam, Fizuli, Jebrail Zangelan, Kubatly, Kelbajar and  Lachin, provided that the corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with  Armenia remains. Decision of the final legal status of  Nagorno-Karabakh by universal suffrage, which is the free _expression_  of the will of the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh under the  auspices of the UN or OSCE within the time agreed between the  parties, which will be legally binding and will comply with the norms  and principles of international law, given that the issue is put to  the vote or questions should not be limited and may include all  status options. Complete settlement of political, trade, economic and  humanitarian ties in the region, restoration of good-neighborly  cooperation, ensuring complete stability in the region of the South  Caucasus.  Paragraph two: immigrants with the assistance of the  international community will leave the territories of five districts  indicated in the first paragraph. Azerbaijani civilian authorities  will enter these territories after the international peacekeeping  forces are deployed and the armed forces located in these areas are  withdrawn. Peacekeeping forces will be deployed along the  administrative borders of the former Nagorno- Karabakh Autonomous  Region, with the exception of the Kelbajar and Lachin districts. The  Kelbajar region will remain under transition monitoring by the OSCE.

The third paragraph: at the same time, along with the adoption of the  above measures, until the final resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh should be endowed with a temporary status  that guarantees the organization of its daily life, "Pashinyan said,  noting that this is the legacy that was on the negotiating table.

We also note that the nationwide elections in Artsakh will be held on  March 31.