Gagik Bagunts:  Armenian authorities don`t have return of the people  of Artsakh to their homeland and release of prisoners of war on their  agenda 

ArmInfo.The National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Artsakh, as a primary governing body, is committed to upholding the right of the NKR people to live freely and independently in their historical homeland. Acting Chairman of the NA of the Republic of Artsakh Gagik Bagunts, emphasized this in his statement on the occasion of the anniversary of Azerbaijan's genocidal actions against the NKR.

In this regard, the politician recalled that on September 27, 2020,  Azerbaijan, with the active support of Turkey and international  terrorist groups, unleashed military actions against the Republic of  Artsakh. These actions were halted on November 9/10, 2020 with the  signing of a trilateral statement by the leaders of Russia, Armenia  and Azerbaijan. However, as Bagunts points out, Azerbaijan and Russia  have failed to fulfill their obligations under the agreement. Since  December 12, 2022, the territory of the Republic of Artsakh has been  under a total blockade.  "For over nine months, the Armenians of  Artsakh fought alone to defend their statehood and homeland,  overcoming many hardships. However, the enemy was insidious, and the  allies were self-serving. In order to finally capture the exhausted  country, on September 19, 2023, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan  attacked Artsakh from different directions. Despite the heroic  resistance of the people of Artsakh and their Defense Army,  Azerbaijan succeeded in capturing a portion of the centuries-old  Armenian homeland through acts of genocide," the statement of the  Acting Chairman of the National Assembly of Artsakh reads.

Bagunts emphasized that as a result of the criminal policy of  Azerbaijan and its patron countries, 150,000 Armenians were left  homeless. He also recalled that 239 Artsakh residents were killed in  an explosion at a fuel depot in Stepanakert.  "In these challenging  times, all Armenians have shown their support for the long-suffering  people of Artsakh. Even though the return of the people of Artsakh  and the release of the military-political leadership and other  prisoners held in Baku prisons are not on the agenda of the Armenian  authorities, these issues remain crucial for the authorities and  people of Artsakh. We firmly believe that with the collective efforts  of all Armenians, the long-held dream of  many generations of a free,  sovereign Artsakh will once again become a reality," concluded Gagik  Bagunts.