During the conference “Artsakh: Unresolved Conflict, Right of Return,” Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan told reporters that Armenia and Azerbaijan not only submitted a letter requesting the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group but also “intensively worked with various countries to ensure no state would exercise a veto — including Armenia itself.”
“I can say with full responsibility that there were countries that could have applied a veto as a result of our work with them, but in the end, that did not happen, because, as I mentioned, intensive efforts were made in that direction,” Stepanyan said, as reported by Pastinfo.
He explained that his “minimum plan” for the return of the people of Artsakh begins with establishing an international platform where Artsakh representatives, Azerbaijan, and international actors can all participate.
“With regret, we must note that the Minsk Group was officially dissolved yesterday. Although it had long ceased to function de facto, de jure it remained a recognized framework for addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he said.
Speaking about conditions for return, Stepanyan stressed the importance of security, dignity, legal protection, and international presence. He argued that if the Azerbaijani authorities were truly capable of guaranteeing the safety and rights of Artsakh Armenians, there would have been no displacement or violence. According to him, war and forced displacement proved that Azerbaijan cannot provide those guarantees alone. He added that the people of Artsakh have rightful claims to the territory, and the international community must be constantly reminded that they were subjected to genocide.
When asked who should present these issues to the international community, Stepanyan replied that states often respond they “cannot be more Catholic than the Pope.”
“In other words, we cannot think more about the Armenian people than the Armenian people themselves. This is the reality: we live under these current authorities. That is why my minimum plan is to do everything possible to keep this issue open until Armenia has a government that will advance it at the state level,” Stepanyan concluded.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack on Artsakh, subjecting the region to heavy shelling. One day later, on September 20, Artsakh’s leadership accepted the Russian peacekeepers’ ceasefire proposal, agreeing to Baku’s terms — disarmament of the Defense Army and dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. From September 24, forced deportations began, with more than 100,000 people displaced to Armenia. According to reports, only about 20 Armenians remain in Artsakh. On September 28, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on the dissolution of the republic, effective January 1, 2024.
