Bill in Armenia Seeks Official Recognition of Artsakh Independence

YEREVAN (A.W.)—Armenia’s government endorsed a bill on May 5 that would recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), adding that the bill would be ratified if Azerbaijan launched new large-scale attacks. Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) released a statement on the same day, saying that rumors about the Armenian government endorsing a bill looking to officially recognize the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic (Artsakh/NKR) as an independent state are “irrelevant,” and stressing that recognition would only come in case of continued military aggression against NKR.

“On numerous occasions Armenia has clearly declared in which case it will recognize the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic. In case of making such an important decision, as a credible and reliable partner, the President of the Republic of Armenia, would inform beforehand his partners and, first of all, the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries,” read a part of the MFA statement.

The bill was introduced by Heritage Party MP Zaruhi Postanjyan and Armenian National Congress (ANC) MP Hrant Bagratyan.

The bill outlines six points, including NKR’s right to self-determination as well as threats of Azerbaijani aggression to the safety and security of Armenia and NKR. The bill also mentions Heritage party founder Raffi Hovannisian’s campaign to get Armenia to recognize NKR. In 2007, Hovannisian introduced a bill on a formal recognition of Artsakh in Armenia’s National Assembly.

The Armenian MFA said it hoped that Azerbaijan would be “reasonable enough to refrain” repeating the large-scale aggression it unleashed in early April. “Only through the acknowledgment of the lack of alternative to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh issue it is possible to return the process onto the negotiation track and find a just and effective way for the full implementation of the right to self-determination by the people of Nagorno-Karabagh,” read a part of the statement.

When asked whether or not the government of Armenia is planning to approve the draft law during its May 5 session, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said, “According to that opinion, the recognition depends on the further development of the situation. If Azerbaijan unleashes new military aggression, the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh will be included in the agenda,” he said in his answer to the press question, as published on the MFA website on May 3.

Last month, Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian told ambassadors of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) member states summoned for a meeting on April 4, that the Republic of Armenia will recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabagh should Azerbaijani military actions continue to escalate.

“Further escalation of [Azerbaijani] military actions may result in unpredictable and irreversible consequences, including an all-out war. It will obviously affect the security and stability not only of the South Caucasus but also the entire European area,” said Sarkisian on April 4.

10 Comments

  1. The next war that a US president has to deal with will be in the Caucusus (Azerbaijan v. Armenia). Do we really want a president that has financial and real estate interests in Azerbaijan? I think not. Do we want a president that betrayed Armenian American Veterans? I think not.

    Can’t trust Trump as Commander in Chief: Why? He has financial interests and hotels in Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Dubai and else where in the Islamic world. He can’t be trusted to bomb them in case there is another 9/11.

    Can’t trust HRC either as Commander in Chief: Why? She betrayed the trust of Christian Armenian American Veterans of the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Korean conflict, Vietnam and others by not honoring her pledges and promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide. She flip flopped to appease a muslim country like Turkey.

    Therefore, it is Bernie or Bust.

  2. US support for Artsagh depends on the right president of the United States. That is what it has to do with this article.

    • {US support for Artsagh depends on the right president of the United States}

      No such thing: there is no “right” POTUS as far as Armenia or Artsakh are concerned. Whoever gets elected, will serve the global-corporate, geopolitical interests of the elites who own 98% of the wealth in US, and who run things.

      Armenia has no value for US or EU or any other country, save: #1 Russia, and #2 Iran. If Armenia disappeared tomorrow, neither US nor EU would be affected in the least. Not so for Russia and Iran.

    • One more thing.
      My above comment does not mean that Armenian-Americans ought not to participate in the electoral process: quite the opposite.
      Our participation is crucial to contain the damage that those anti-Armenian interests can and will cause to Armenia and Artsakh, if there is no counter-action.

      To wit: if ANCA’s advocacy did not exist, there would dozens of anti-Armenia and anti-Artsakh resolutions and legislation passed by Turkophile interests in US, highly damaging to RoA and NKR.

      If we are not present in the political space, the vacuum will be filled by the enemies of Armenians.

  3. They say that the reason that Armenia has not already recognized the Republic of Artsakh is because there is already a peace process in place involving world powers and that peace process will allow the people of Artsakh to determine their own future. But the thing is, Azerbaijan will still not accept those terms, and there will most likely be more hostilities in the future, if and when recognition is imminent.

    Personally I feel Armenia is moving rather slowly and not showing its teeth more. For example, after this 4-day war, only now Armenia threatens to ‘discuss’ recognition in case Azerbaijan starts another ‘large scale’ aggression. I feel Armenia should have already set up this recognition threat when Azerbaijan last engaged in a large-scale terrorist tactic when they shot down two helicopters last time. And of course Armenia should give fair warning to the involved powers FIRST, Russia, USA, France, who are always claiming “there is no military solution to the Karabakh resolution”. Well, their gas station attempted exactly that in the 4-day war, and now what are the consequences? For them, it is NONE. In fact, adding insult to injury, they equated Artsakh’s defensive actions with the terrorist actions of Azerbaijan. How sick.

    While they are playing the tune of “there is no military solution”, Azerbaijan keeps committing crimes and terrorist hits against both Artsakh and Armenia itself, causing unacceptable losses to our side. I wish Armenia would take a more forceful position against the so-called peace brokers of the OSCE. We don’t want any war, but then Azerbaijan is not a sane and reasonable entity to deal with, and Armenia should make clear, if the people of Artsakh and Armenia are ever threatened again physically, then what kind of solution is left except for a “military solution”, since their rhetoric is devoid of any impact on the squatters of Azerbaijan and is all empty and meaningless. “There is no military solution” is for two sides, not one.

  4. Can someone explain why hasn’t Armenia recognized NKR in the first place? I don’t mean this year, I mean back in the 90s. And why would Azerbaijan fear Armenian recognition? They bombarded Artsakh and Armenia’s response is, “Beware, we are writing a bill!”

    • { Can someone explain why hasn’t Armenia recognized NKR in the first place?}

      I will try, but I am little surprised why it isn’t obvious to so many people:

      1.Recognition of NKR by RoA will mean zilch; nothing; nada. Nothing will change.
      2.RoA and NKR are de facto united. RoA de facto has recognized NKR since 1991: who do you think had NKR’s back during the bloody war, Zimbabwe ?
      3.Russia has recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia: no other country has. What has changed ? Nothing.
      4.Recognition of NKR by RoA will be regarded as “aggressive” by the OSCRE chairs. They want the status quo to continue. In case people have not noticed, OSCE as a group – excepting Turkophile anti-Armenian US State Dept and dimwitted Warlick – are on our side. Has OSCE (Russia, France) put _any_ kind of pressure on Armenians to do anything other than endlessly negotiate ? No. Azerbaijanis are hysterical because they know with every passing year, facts on the ground gel and solidify. What are you guys complaining about ? Instead of meaningless recognition, how about increasing the population of Artsakh ? How about sending them more money so they can build more housing, more roads, more of everything ?
      5. NKR not being recognized at this time, gives it tremendous advantages. And recognition either by RoA or the West will not prevent an invasion by Turks/Azerbaijan, if they can. Did the fact that Cyprus is part of Europe and is recognized by UN prevent Turks from invading ? Turks are still there, 40+ years after. Still occupying 40%. And EU is giving the Turkish criminals $ billions, and negotiating with the blackmailers to open the gates of Europe to Turks. What kind of world do you guys think we live in ?

      { They bombarded Artsakh and Armenia’s response is, “Beware, we are writing a bill!”}

      Oh, stop it already.
      Where are you right now: typing away from a safe office somewhere in US?
      If you are so gung-ho, why aren’t you in Artsakh, ready for the next attack? Easy to talk tough from a safe office.

      And Armenians’ response is not “Beware, we are writing a bill!”.
      The response has been at least 800 Azerbaijani KIA during the 4-day-war, including 30 Special Forces troops trained by Turks (according to Russian analytical site OSTKRAFT). I won’t list all the tanks, helicopters, drones, etc Azerbaijan lost: you can look it up yourself.
      NKR gave up a couple of hundred meters of hard-to-defend flatlands here and there.
      Azerbaijan threw everything it had at NKR conscripts, and achieved next to nothing.
      What do you want RoA to do ? Declare war ?
      Will you go to Artsakh and fight if there is war ?
      If you say “Yes”, my question is why are you not there right now?
      War can break out any day.
      Don’t wait: Go (!).

  5. Artsakh is like a fortress blocking the expansion of pan-Turkism and the realization of failed dreams of pan-Turanism, the unification of Turkic nations from Central Asia to the gates of Europe in illegal and fascist Turkey and in absence of Armenia, of yesteryear. It is the last line of defense to keep the artificial gas-station of Azerbaijan at bay so as to deny and shatter its role as a proxy for the achievement of such dreams for the genocidal Turks next door.

    Artsakh has already been an inseparable part of Armenia for over two decades and all this talk of recognition by Armenia is political maneuvering and for external consumption. If you study one of the unofficial maps of the artificial Azerbaijani state, it will leave you with no doubt whatsoever that the enemy’s goal is to absorb Artsakh, to cut through Armenia to establish a direct land link with the ancient and occupied Armenian province of Nakhichevan, thus with Turkey, cut Armenia from Iran and turn it into a landlocked island in attempts to put an end to Armenia’s statehood.

    Through our unified efforts We must once again bring this defeated, humiliated, morally-bankrupt and psychologically-handicapped enemy down to its knees as we did two decades ago but this time we must finish the job and never leave it at the hands of foreign charlatans. This is a kind of enemy that when it begs for ceasefire at its lowest point, not because it is sincere about it but wants to save face to live to fight another day, we must kick it in the teeth and finish it off once and for all. We must never have any mercy on such an enemy.

    Having said all that, the official recognition of Artsakh as part of Armenia should have been announced and officiated at the end of victorious Armenian war of liberation back in the day and when the enemy was reduced to a beggar begging for its mere existence.

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