Russian is widely spoken in Arstakh, with efforts having been made since late 2020 in the parliament in Stepanakert to establish it as an additional official language; the official justifications for this being that Russian was already the second language of many residents, and that it would create "conditions for deepening cooperation in all spheres, as well as contributing to the development of relations within the legal framework." The Parliament of Artsakh approved a bill grating Russian official status on March 25, 2021 with 27 votes in favor, 0 votes against and 2 abstentions.