In implementation of the decision taken at the February 28, 2023 session of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh, a working group has been established, the purpose of which is to discuss urgent humanitarian issues with the Azerbaijani side. This was reported by the Artsakh Security Council.
The head of the group is Samvel Shahramanyan, Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh.
“In accordance with the agreement reached through the mediation of the command of the Russian Federation peacekeeping contingent deployed in the Republic of Artsakh, on March 1, 2023, at 11:00, at the headquarters of the peacekeeping contingent, with the participation of the contingent commander, Major General Andrei Volkov, a meeting was held between the Artsakh and Azerbaijani sides, which was attended by a similar working group formed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, headed by Ramin Mammadov, deputy of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The agenda items of the meeting were:
1. Ensuring the uninterrupted supply of natural gas to the Republic of Artsakh and the exclusion of further gas cut-offs.
2. Ensuring the possibility of inspecting the section of the only high-voltage line entering Artsakh from the Republic of Armenia, which is under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces, for the purpose of restoring electricity supply to the Republic of Artsakh, and of carrying out restoration work by specialists of “Artsakh Energo” CJSC (Closed Joint-Stock Company).
3. Organising a one-time visual tour by an Azerbaijani professional group in the areas of the Kashen and Drmbon deposits.
4. The full opening of the Stepanakert-Goris highway.
In his opening remarks, the commander of the peacekeeping contingent introduced the participants of the meeting as the sides of the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the head of the Artsakh group clarified to the Azerbaijani side the powers of the group he heads, namely, the discussion of the above-mentioned specific (clear) issues and the search for solutions regarding them.
At the beginning of the meeting, the head of the Azerbaijani group tried to steer the conversation towards the necessity of Artsakh’s integration (amalgamation) into Azerbaijan, presenting the prospects of obtaining possible socio-economic (social-economic) advantages in that case, but the head of the Artsakh group reacted to this, urging that the discussion be conducted on the clearly proposed issues. The latter also emphasised that these contacts on humanitarian (humanitarian) and infrastructural urgent issues cannot affect the main issues of the comprehensive settlement of the conflict, and for this reason it is necessary to form a format with broad international support.
It should be noted that the other members of the Azerbaijani group engaged in the discussion of the above-mentioned four specific issues and the search for solutions, accordingly, the subsequent course of the meeting fully corresponded to the framework defined by the agenda.
As a result of the discussion of all agenda items, specific agreements were reached, which the Azerbaijani side undertook to report to higher authorities and, in the coming days, through the peacekeeping contingent, to inform the Artsakh side of the results.
During the meeting, an agreement was also reached on the formation of a stable mechanism (mechanism) of feedback between the sides.
At the meeting, the sides had agreed to publicise, for the time being, only information in general terms, considering that the process is still at the working stage. However, shortly after the meeting, the head of the Azerbaijani group gave interviews on his country’s information platforms, in which he spread completely different disinformation, deviating from the actual content and the process, in particular declaring that the meeting discussed “issues of the reintegration of the Armenian population of the Karabakh region into Azerbaijan”.
This falsification by Azerbaijani officials and media outlets has, unfortunately, also been used by some representatives of the Armenian information field, thereby creating a false impression that, allegedly, issues related to the comprehensive settlement of the conflict are being discussed in Artsakh-Azerbaijani contacts. Whereas, as we noted, the March 1 meeting, which, we repeat, was also attended by the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, was devoted solely to the discussion of steps to eliminate the blockade of Artsakh and the problems related to it.
The next Azerbaijani disinformation, according to which the next meeting of the official representatives of the sides could allegedly “take place in Ganja or Aghdam”, moreover, without the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, also does not correspond to reality.
We urge you not to succumb to the fabrications of the Azerbaijani propaganda machine and to be assured that the public will be provided with comprehensive information about the above-mentioned process and its results,” the office of the Artsakh Security Council stated.
