Nagorno Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, has responded to Azerbaijan's proposal for a meeting in Baku. In a statement released on March 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh stated that meetings between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan should take place with mediation of Russian peacekeepers, and should be held at the same location as the March 1 meetings.
They emphasized that the discussions should focus on humanitarian, infrastructure, and technical issues but without unnecessary politicization.
The Nagorno Karabakh authorities also expressed concern about the closure of the Lachin Corridor and the ongoing humanitarian crisis, which they believe to be unacceptable and not contributing to creating an environment suitable for negotiations.
The statement further urged Azerbaijan to fulfill their obligations under the November 9, 2020 trilateral statement and the demands of the International Court of Justice ruling, by refraining from the use of force or the threat of force and unilateral, maximalist approaches. This would create favorable conditions for further discussions.
Regarding the political issues of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh reiterated their commitment to negotiations aimed at a comprehensive resolution of the conflict in an internationally recognized and approved format.
They further emphasized the need for international guarantees for the equal rights of the parties and implementation of obligations.
This response from Nagorno Karabakh underlines the ongoing tensions and complexities of the conflict and highlights the need for finding a peaceful resolution.
Nagorno-Karabakh has international recognition as part of Azerbaijan, but its 120,000 population is formed mostly of ethnic Armenians. The province broke away from Baku in the early 1990s.