Artsakh Republic State Minister Ruben Vardanyan gave an interview with the prestigious French TV company France 24, presenting the situation in Artsakh. This is reported by the office of the Minister of State of Artsakh, noting that during the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, this is the second interview of the Minister of State of Artsakh with this TV company.

Answering the question of what the European Union can do and how it can help, Ruben Vardanyan noted that Europe can put pressure on the Aliyev regime, explain what sanctions can be applied against him, and show that 120 thousand is unacceptable. 30,000 people and 30,000 children are deprived of heating in winter conditions.

"The Europeans should have put pressure and said that this is unacceptable, that he will not be invited to Davos, and he will not be a part of that civilization. They can create an air corridor so that humanitarian planes can land in Stepanakert and bring us much-needed food and medicine. I also think that the best way to end this story would be to recognize Artsakh as an independent state. Because Azerbaijan is not able to provide normal living conditions not only for Armenians but even for its own people. The current situation once again proves that it is not possible to live in Azerbaijan, where there is so much pressure and so many attacks on the civilian population."

In response to the question of how the people of Artsakh are coping with the blockade, the Minister of State noted that despite all these difficulties, the people are strong.

"They say that since they are fighting for their independence, they are ready to stay and show courage and not pay tribute to oppression. The people understand the situation and accept that it is a difficult period, which is the continuation of the war that started in 2020. it was not finished on November 9. Therefore, people here are ready to fight despite all these pressures."

To France 24's question, in whose hands is the key to the solution and ending the suffering of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan said that the main "beneficiary" of all this is the Aliyev regime because having an external enemy allows him to maintain his regime.

"Let's not forget that the country has been ruled by one family for decades. Therefore, the only way to maintain unity within the country is to have an external enemy who can always be used to consolidate one's own people. That is why the key is in the hands of the people of Azerbaijan because their children die during the war, and they are poor, even though they have so much oil and gas. And the civilized international community should explain that this is unacceptable. France, Russia, the USA, Iran, and Turkey are big players, but at the end of the day, our goal and responsibility are to show determination and courage to defend our independence. One day, Azerbaijan should understand that the only way to live side by side is to be neighbors and not to be a part of Azerbaijan."

The minister of the state of Artsakh also noticed that Europe continues trade activities with Azerbaijan, accepting the authoritarian regime, which is trying to destroy a democratic country like Artsakh. He called it "an example of the double standards of many of the big players".

"Russia, Europe, and the USA can play a big role. France is one of the exceptional countries that supported the Armenians of Artsakh from the very first day of the blockade. I want to thank you for that. I think that Russia, France, and the USA should return to the Minsk Group table and try to put pressure on Azerbaijan from three sides," said Ruben Vardanyan.