By Victoria Vardanyan

STEPANAKERT, August 30– Azerbaijan is once again committing a grave error by introducing the UN General Assembly resolution on Artsakh (Karabakh), said the President of Armenia, Serge Sarkisian during his visit to Artsakh on Sunday.

According to Azerbaijani media, Baku will initiate the vote on a draft resolution entitled “Respect for international humanitarian law and international standards on human rights in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” on the 65th session of the UN General Assembly on September 9.

According to the Armenian President, it is obvious that the retaliatory steps will be taken from the Armenian side “and these steps will bring us closer to our goals.”

“Our work should always be directed to the fact that not only Azerbaijan, but also the rest of the country realized that there is no turning back. The return of Artsakh in any way as a part of Azerbaijan is excluded,” Sarkisian said.

The Armenian president said that Artsakh has already become a state that is consolidating and developing.

“Acceptance or rejection of the resolution to be introduced to the UN General Assembly by Azerbaijan on September 9, will have no significant influence on the political and economic life of Armenia and Artsakh,” said Sarkisian.

According to him, a “yes” vote will most likely be made by countries that have some affinity with Azerbaijan, such as countries  of the Islamic Conference Organization.

The Armenian president expressed his confidence that all those countries that wish a peaceful solution to the Artsakh conflict will vote against this resolution. “These countries are well aware that the adoption of such resolutions cannot have any positive impact on the negotiation process around the settlement of the conflict,” Sarkisian said.

The Karabakh conflict started in 1988, following a statement by predominantly Armenian-populated Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan. On December 10, 1991 a referendum was held in Artsakh in which 99.89 percent were in favor of full independence from Azerbaijan.

On May 12, 1994 after the entry into force of the tripartite agreement on the truce in the conflict zone the hostilities ceased and from both sides around 25,000  people were killed and nearly 1 million were forced to flee their homes.

An agreement on a cease-fire is holding so far. From 1992 to the present day negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict continue within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France.