Regarding attempts to establish a dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku, we think it's necessary to mention the following about the sensational publications recently published in several Russian media concerning anonymous diplomatic sources.
The Republic of Artsakh is the most interested party in finding a comprehensive solution to the conflict with Azerbaijan through dialogue and peaceful negotiations to establish a stable and just peace in the region.

After the end of the 44-day war, there have already been attempts at such contacts to solve several urgent problems. In particular, several meetings were held between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan with the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping troops, during which humanitarian, infrastructural, and other technical issues were discussed, aimed at ensuring the conditions for the peaceful and everyday life of people. Before Azerbaijan blockaded Artsakh, thanks to the meetings held with the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping troops, concrete results were recorded revealing the fate of the missing and searching for the remains of the dead, ensuring the regular operation of vital infrastructures, organizing agricultural works, and other issues. The last meeting in this format was held on March 1, 2023, during which issues related to ending Artsakh's transportation and energy blockade were discussed. However, the Azerbaijani side refused to fulfill the agreements reached during the meeting. Then it resorted to various provocations and aggressive actions, consistently rejecting all subsequent proposals of the Artsakh Republic to continue the discussions in the specified format.

The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh have repeatedly stated that for the resumption of the peace process, it is necessary to restore the internationally recognized negotiation format, within which it will be possible to discuss all controversial issues and contradictions based on the principles of good faith, cooperation and equality of rights of the parties. At the same time, this mechanism must be inclusive and representative and have the appropriate capacity and authority to ensure the fulfillment of the agreements reached and the commitments undertaken by the parties.

We are convinced that the role of international mediators should not be limited to providing exemplary services but should be aimed at more active involvement in the process of finding fair, balanced, and viable solutions to existing problems, creating favorable and worthy conditions for dialogue, as well as Azerbaijan's compliance with the norms of international law and ensuring the observance of the principles and the implementation of the provisions of the UN Charter. In this context, we again emphasize the importance of using the potential and experience of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship Institute and the practical cooperation of all the main actors involved in the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

In this regard, the collective and individual efforts of the international community aimed at creating normal living conditions in Artsakh, ending the transport and energy blockade of Artsakh, eliminating the illegally installed Azerbaijani checkpoint, and ensuring the free movement of people, vehicles, and goods in both directions through the Lachin Corridor are of primary importance by November 9, 2020, and the decision of the International Court of Justice of February 22, 2023. It is evident that in the conditions of the ongoing strict blockade of Artsakh, the use of force, and the growing threats of ethnic cleansing when the 120,000 people of Artsakh are essentially held hostage, it is unrealistic to start an honest dialogue about the ways of a political settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.