Three Artsakh National Assembly MPs have introduced a bill that would make Russian one of the two official languages of the country alongside Armenian.

"The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic encourages Armenian and Russian publications, press materials, as well as the creation of Armenian-Russian textbooks, reference books, scientific-methodological and popular science literature," the bill reads.

Bill supporters argue that many Artsakh residents use Russian as their second language and that the new status for Russian will pave the way for increased cooperation with Russia across all sectors.

“Understanding the need for a joint long-term presence of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh, the joint solution of many social and communication problems, cooperation in the fields of construction, health, education and science requires a reassessment of the role of the Russian language,” the MPs write.

The bill was introduced by A. Harutyunyan, G. Baghunts and M. Hakobyan.