Former Artsakh Presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan today stated that current Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan contacted them on October 18, seeking their help to end the fighting.

The former presidents, in a statement released today, say they has also concluded that the war was going badly for Artsakh and that the steps had to be taken to end the fighting.

They write that former Armenian Presidents Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan had reached the same conclusion.

Ghukasyan and Sahakyan write that they urged Arayik Harutyunyan to contact Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and the leaders of OSCE Minsk Group countries to mediate a ceasefire.

“On October 19, the President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan prepared relevant letters addressed to the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia on the cessation of the war and the resumption of the negotiation process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. However, Prime Minister Pashinyan reasoned that in the context of the situation created by the policy of Azerbaijan, the   letters lost their relevance. This is the whole truth,” their statement reads.

Ghukasyan and Sahakyan also released copies of the letters they claim Arayik Harutyunyan sent to Pashinyan and the Minsk Group Co-chairs

Below are the texts of those letters.

To the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan

Dear Nikol Vova,

In consultation with all the factions of the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic, receiving their unanimous consent, this year On October 19, 2010, I wrote a letter to the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries proposing an immediate end to the war in the wake of the ongoing humanitarian operation in the region.

I reaffirmed the readiness of official Stepanakert to resume the negotiation process within the framework of the previously discussed documents and principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The Republic of Armenia is the main guarantor of the security of the Artsakh Republic, given that the Artsakh Republic does not actually participate in the negotiation process. With the consent of all the NA factions, I appeal to you to make every effort to immediately cease hostilities on the basis of previously discussed documents and to resume the negotiation process.

With deep respect, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan

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To the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries Mr. Vladimir Putin, the President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump, the President of the Republic of France, Mr. Emmanuel Macron

Given the large-scale hostilities in the region, the presence of thousands of casualties on both sides, which has already led to a humanitarian catastrophe, I call on you, as the duly elected President of the Artsakh Republic, to take all necessary steps to immediately cease hostilities and resume the negotiation process.

Official Stepanakert has always been in favor of a peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. We reaffirm our readiness to immediately resume the negotiation process within the framework of the previously discussed documents and principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

With deep respect, President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan.

Top photo (from left): Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan