Question: Yesterday, the regular parliamentary elections took place in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). There have been many statements on that occasion. What is your assessment?

Answer: As a result of nation-wide, free and fair elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, stable political institutions, legitimate authorities – bodies of state and local governance have been established.

Like all previous elections, in terms of their well-organization, actual competitiveness, correspondence to the legislation and international standards, the parliamentary elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, held on May 23, were positively assessed by independent observers from different countries.

The elections testify the commitment of the authorities and people to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Artsakh.

The recognition of the inalienable right of the people of the NKR to determine their own destiny is at the core of the proposals presented by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the settlement of the issue, on which the current negotiations are conducted.

In the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem the international community should be more than interested in interacting with the authorities elected by the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, especially as it is also envisaged by the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Conference.

With these elections, the citizens of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic once again proved their determination of the expression of their free will to live in freedom and independence.