Parliamentary coalition won't participate in the voting over Karabakh's independence

Armenian parliamentary coalition parties have issued a joint statement over a proposal by Zharangutyun (Heritage) Party to vote on the recognition of the independence of Artsakh Republic (Nagorno Karabakh).

In the statement the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Party and Rule of Law Party said that the recognition of Artsakh's independence has no alternative, and that the complete realization of the Artsakhi people's right to self-determination is the dream and the aim of all the Armenians.

But they also said that Artsakh's unilateral recognition by Armenia is not "in line with the constructive stance adopted by Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan" in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

"In the recent 18 years the Republic of Armenia has always had a constructive approach towards the negotiation process convinced that the Nagorno Karabakh's peaceful and just settlement is possible only through fair and consistent implementation of OSCE's fundamental principles," reads the statement.

Further they express their deepest conviction that the "Artsakhi people's right to self-determination and to having their own state is the highest value for which the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia is always ready to take decisive steps, should the negotiations process fail, putting Artsakhi people's fundamental rights and security at risk."

"The ruling political coalition states that it will not take part in the vote on a draft that recognizes the independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh," reads the statement.