Are Araik Harutyunyan and Ruben Vardanyan in Moscow? - 'Hraparak'

'Hraparak' newspaper reports: According to reliable information received from Artsakh, about 10 days ago, the President of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, traveled to Russia to clarify Russia's stance and political position regarding Artsakh. He returned to Artsakh 3-4 days ago. Following him, Prime Minister Ruben Vardanyan also went to Moscow, where he remains at present. It appears he was invited to discuss the internal political issues of Artsakh and seek solutions to the prevailing situation.

It is noteworthy that tensions had arisen within the ruling circles of Artsakh since the closure of the road to Artsakh, with discussions emerging about the Prime Minister's resignation and even the possibility of extraordinary parliamentary elections.

It is also worth mentioning that the Azerbaijani side has demanded Vardanyan's resignation in exchange for reopening the road to Artsakh. Russia has evidently taken on the role of a passive observer—not facilitating the opening of the road, not admonishing Azerbaijan, nor intervening in the internal political life of Artsakh. The blockade has exacerbated the atmosphere and divided the formerly united Artsakh into factions.

Our source indicates that Araik Harutyunyan had quite a few high-level meetings in Moscow. Following his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Yerevan, he has garnered more trust in the Kremlin and was directly told that if Vardanyan is an obstacle, they should let him go, as they did not appoint him. Supporters of Harutyunyan say he returned from Moscow in good spirits. Now Vardanyan is assessing his situation in Moscow. It is possible that upon his return, he might voluntarily resign as a means to defuse the current situation.

Auroranews attempted to verify this information with the press secretary of the President of Artsakh, but he did not respond to our calls. Araik Harutyunyan's advisor, David Babayan, also told Auroranews that he has no such information.