Vitaly Balasanyan’s Response to Cavusoglu

In response to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's statement that the issue of Artsakh should be resolved within the framework of Azerbaijan's autonomy, territorial integrity, and internationally recognized borders, I reiterate that the Republic of Artsakh has never been and will never be within Azerbaijan's "border framework." Thus, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved within the mentioned framework.

This was stated by Vitaly Balasanyan, a candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Artsakh and a national hero, on his Facebook page, referring to the discussions held during the meeting of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

He particularly mentioned, "Dear compatriots, yesterday, on March 2, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Igor Popov, Andrew Schoffer, and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, visited Ankara, where they met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

In response to Cavusoglu’s statement that the issue of Artsakh should be resolved within the framework of Azerbaijan’s autonomy, territorial integrity, and internationally recognized borders, I once again emphasize that the Republic of Artsakh has never been and will never be within Azerbaijan’s ‘border framework,’ and therefore, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved within that framework.

Our responsibility should be to ensure the realization of the right to self-determination for Artsakh and its international recognition. I see my mission in addressing these issues.