Businessman and Artsakh’s former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan has responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s latest claims that Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh “have to either take up Azerbaijani citizenship or find another place of residence.” 

"I believed that President Aliyev of Azerbaijan had competent advisers, but his recent statements have demonstrated that they are entirely worthless. I strongly recommend that he dismiss them, as the harsher the rhetoric becomes, the more likely it is that Mr. Aliyev will eventually face the International Tribunal at The Hague," he said in response to Business FM's request for comment on Tuesday.

"The forceful expulsion of 120,000 Armenians from their homeland by Azerbaijan will undoubtedly be a crime against humanity. Therefore, the more the people of Artsakh are subjected to oppression, the stronger our struggle will become, and unity will be forged against this agenda. As a result, no progress can be made in this regard.

"My position remains steadfast: the only way to resolve this issue is to commence normal negotiations within international mechanisms. Azerbaijan must acknowledge the legitimacy of the Artsakh state and its elected leaders. International negotiations must take place with the understanding that failure to do so will lead to a dead end," Vardanyan stated.