Artsakh president says to declare patriotic war if Azerbaijan wants lasting war: Arayik Harutyunyan

Only after lasting and severe losses Azerbaijan will be forced to accept the conditions of ceasefire, Artsakh Republic president Arayik Harutyunyan said at a briefing today.

“It is secondary for it [Azerbaijan] whether there will be negotiations or not, if it does not recognize the format that we already have,” the president said.

Arayik Harutyunyan said the Armenian side is for peace.

“People of Artsakh love peace most of all, but we cannot accept an obligatory condition of a country which aims at annihilating Artsakh people, Artsakh’s culture,” he said.

Arayik Harutyunyan stressed that he will declare patriotic war and call on all Armenians to participate not only materially but physically.

“They want lasting war, they chose this path, we will not reject it, if this war is imposed,” he said.