Karabakh independence not a bargaining chip, says Aram I

PanARMENIAN.Net - The independence of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) cannot be a bargaining chip, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I told an Easter mass on Sunday, April 17.

"We as a nation cannot remain indifferent and silent, we will tell the people of Artsakh that we are with you," the Catholicos said.

"Peace, independence and justice are God-given values and rights. The peace of a nation can't be a bargaining chip, the people of Artsakh have collectively established and strengthened their independence on the land where they have been living and working for centuries."

Aram I said Armenia is facing severe challenges today.

"We expect the authorities of Armenia, the people of Armenia, as well as the people of Artsakh to firmly establish their collective will, saying that a nation's will to live freely, the right to live in peace can't be undermined in the light of so-called geopolitical conditions", he said.

Azerbaijan has broken into Nagorno-Karabakh, and the incursion has left three Armenian soldiers dead and at least 14 others injured. On March 24, Azerbaijan stormed into the zone of the responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the area and is refusing to completely withdraw its forces from strategic heights.