While in Stepanakert to attend ceremonies marking the May 9 holiday, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan sat down for a private meeting.

According to a statement released by Pashinyan’s office, Sahakyan welcomed the Armenian Prime Minister to Artsakh, adding that his presence is especially valuable on this day.

"Dear Mr. President, I congratulate all of us on the triple holiday, especially on Shushi Liberation Day. For the third year in a row, we are celebrating this glorious holiday together in Stepanakert. I think this is a particularly good tradition,” Pashinyan responded.

Pashinyan noted that despite the coronavirus pandemic, he found people in Stepanakert and Artsakh in high spirits, adding that all must work to make the May 9 triple holiday more festive in the future, both in Artsakh and Armenia.

“We all owe a collective and united debt to our martyrs. We must perform that duty with honor and pay back that debt to their descendants tenfold,” Pashinyan said.

Photo (from left): PM Nikol Pashinyan, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan