In an interview with Artsakh Public TV on August 6, Arayik Harutyunyan, the de-facto President of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh, stated that there can be no dialogue between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh by compulsion.

"I will address the international actors in the coming days because to demand dialogue, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions," Harutyunyan said. As for the proposal to organize a meeting between the sides in a third country, Harutyunyan said there were such initiatives, but they were rejected by Azerbaijan.

"There seems to be a tacit agreement to leave us all alone against Azerbaijan. There used to be a dialogue between [the separatist] Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijani sides when the latter respected our dignity and understood that we have rights," Harutyunyan said. He recalled that before December 12, Azerbaijan's conduct had altered and that these meetings had primarily social and infrastructure-related purposes. There was a conversation and a result. According to Harutyunyan, direct dialogue and conversations held in an atmosphere of respect turned into pressure on the part of Baku.

Moreover, Harutyunyan stated that there were disagreements between the authorities in Stepanakert and Yerevan. "We have quite active contacts; periodically, if not every day, we talk about problems. There are some disagreements between us. And the biggest disagreement is related to the Karabakh issue. I want to urge the Armenian authorities to refrain from those steps and statements that may question Nagorno-Karabakh's right to self-determination," Harutyunyan added. 

"I want to urge the Armenian authorities to be very careful with Nagorno-Karabakh. No one can question and limit our right to self-determination. This is an exclusive right which was not granted by the authorities but is recognized internationally. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have expressed their desire to fight for it, and the people of Armenia - to support this struggle," Harutyunyan said. He expressed confidence that the differences will be smoothed out. Also, he noted that Nagorno-Karabakh expects, first of all, moral support from Armenians around the world to keep it Armenian, as well as material support. "Nagorno-Karabakh will continue its struggle for self-determination," Harutyunyan stated.