Karabakh reaffirms commitment to struggle for independence

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) authorities will remain committed to the country's struggle for independence and state-building based on the right of peoples to self-determination, President Arayik Harutyunyan said on Tuesday, April 12.

Harutyunyan made the remarks during a meeting with officials in the town of Martakert, which was also attended by community heads and active representatives of the population.

Recent geopolitical developments and, within this context, the current military-political situation in Artsakh, as well as the security-related and socio-economic issues were on the table, Harutyunyan's office said in a statement.

The Karabakh President weighed in on Azerbaijan's recent provocations in the village of Parukh and the Karaglukh height of Askeran region, noting that negotiations with the Russian peacekeeping command staff deployed in Artsakh for the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani troops are ongoing.

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.

At the same time, Harutyunyan highlighted that ensuring relative and fragile peace in the conflict zone is possible due to the Russian peacekeeping forces, and the Artsakh people and authorities are convinced that their presence should be guaranteed and indefinite with the increase of servicemen and military equipment.

"The President reaffirmed the commitment of the Artsakh authorities to the struggle for independence and state-building of the Artsakh Republic on the basis of the right of peoples to self-determination, and underscored that in parallel with the guarantees and activities of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, the Government will continue improving its own security mechanisms, and the effectiveness of the civil defense system," Harutyunyan's office said.

"The Head of State also touched upon the issues of ensuring energy and food security, noting that work is already underway to develop solar energy, to ensure the rational use of small hydropower stations, forest and other natural resources, and lands. According to Arayik Harutyunyan, pursuant to the outlined program, the improvement works of sub-regional and intra-community roads will be carried out."