News - Karabakh president says he listens with great pain to Armenia authorities’ statements regarding Artsakh

Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) authorities, led by President Samvel Shahramanyan, visited the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on the first-year anniversary of the occupation of Artsakh by Azerbaijan and the forced deportation of the Armenian people of Artsakh. They laid flowers and paid tribute to all Armenians who were martyred for Artsakh. And speaking with reporters, Shahramanyan said. "This day will remain in our memories as the day when, after ten months of blockade, then four months of complete siege, the Azerbaijani side resorted to military aggression, as a result of which we had casualties, injuries. Today we paid our respects to our casualties who protected our homeland and their families at the cost of their lives. As a result of the September [2023] events, military operations, the explosion of the fuel warehouse, hundreds of people were killed, sustained various injuries, which had very serious consequences for us. As a result of military operations [by Azerbaijan], our population had to leave their homeland. We will always remember the names of those devotees who defended our homeland at the cost of their lives, created an opportunity for more than 100 thousand people to get out of the blockade, to avoid more difficult, direr consequences for us." Reflecting on the statements by Armenia’s authorities regarding Artsakh and its people, Samvel Shahramanyan said: "I listen with great pain to such statements, including by high-ranking officials, who consider that we, the people of Artsakh, are guests in Armenia, who consider that recognizing Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan is Armenia's victory. I have great doubts that all members of Armenia’s government think so and the people of Armenia think so. I have nothing to say to those people. That question should be addressed to the people who have formed the authorities in Armenia." And asked whether it is true that after the dissolution and the de-Armenianization of Artsakh, he continue to be the president of Artsakh, Samvel Shahramanyan responded: "The people who want to hear us will listen, who want to see Artsakh will see, the people who don't want to. You want me to answer this question 10-20 times, you will continue to insist and ask those same questions. From a legal point of view, your question is not justified."