G. Melikyan: Military exercise was harsh response

The military exercise held in Artsakh, attended by President Serzh Sargsyan was an exact and harsh response to Azerbaijani leadership’s constant bellicose statements, member of RPA parliamentary faction Gagik Melikyan told a news conference in Yerevan.

“The exercise showed Armenian army’s might and ability to deliver a counterblow to any encroachment and aggression,” speaker said adding that the exercise was also a signal to superpowers that support peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

G. Melikyan also highly assessed President Sargsyan’s visit to Moscow and his meetings with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

“I attach importance to President Sargsyan’s statement in Russia that we rate as important recognition of Karabakh independence by Azerbaijan on the basis of the right of self-determination. We cannot talk about any concession, any compromise except a statement recognizing Artsakh independence,” parliamentarian said.