Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan accused the Artsakh leadership of supporting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to give away Artsakh to Azerbaijan.

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry on Monday reacted harshly to European Council President Charles Michel’s remarks following the latest talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Brussels.

“The EU leadership continues to ignore the legitimate rights and interests of the people of Artsakh and is guided solely by their own geopolitical and short-term interests in the region to the detriment of the values of democracy and human rights declared by the European Union,” it said in a statement.

Pashinyan stopped championing the Artsakh Armenians’ right to self-determination last year and has spoken instead of the need to protect their “rights and security” since then.

Meanwhile, the Artsakh statement contained no criticism of Pashinyan and his government.

“Charles Michel’s remarks only indicate the current agenda and the talks that were held, Meanwhile, the Armenian authorities, at least, have not stated otherwise,” Abrahamyan, the secretary of the opposition Pativ Unem faction, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

He stressed neither the Artsakh president nor any of the Artsakh officials who held a rally in Stepanakert on Monday refrained from criticizing Pashinyan’s “disgraceful policy of surrendering Artsakh to Azerbaijan.”

"Despite harsh criticism of Pashinyan from various groups of Artsakh's society, the Artsakh authorities continue to support Pashinyan in his efforts to surrender Artsakh [to Azerbaijan],” the deputy stated.