The Political Science Association of Armenia and the Specialized Doctoral Conferral Committee 056 of the Supreme Certifying Commission of the Republic of Armenia – “Political Science and International Relations” in conjunction with the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Defense – during the joint extended session held on April 6, discussing the situation following the large-scale hostilities launched by Azerbaijan along the Line of Contact of the Karabakh and Azerbaijani forces, adopted an Appeal to the UN Secretary General, the Acting Chairman of the UN Security Council, the Presidents of the United States, the Russian Federation, and the French Republic, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.
Below, the full text of the Appeal is presented by Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Major General Hayk Kotanjian, President of the Political Science Association of Armenia and the Specialized Council 056 of the Supreme Certifying Commission of the Republic of Armenia.
RESUMPTION OF LARGE-SCALE HOSTILITIES BY AZERBAIJAN
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AGAINST THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC
PREPARED BY:
POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION OF ARMENIA
“POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS” SPECIALIZED DOCTORAL CONFERRAL COMMITTEE
OF THE SUPREME CERTIFYING COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE INSTITUTE FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
TO THE UN Secretary General, His Excellency MR. Ban Ki-moon
TO THE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, His Excellency Ambassador Liu Jieyi
TO THE PresidentS OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-chair states, their Excellencies Mr. Francois Hollande of the FRENCH Republic, Mr. Vladimir PUTIN of THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, AND Mr. Barack Obama of THE UNITED STATES
To the speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, his excellency MR. Galust Sahakyan
On 2 April 2016, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a large-scale attack along the Karabakh-Azerbaijani Line of Contact bombarding border settlements. Once again, Azerbaijan has derailed the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair states to resolve the Karabakh conflict through peaceful negotiations.
Azerbaijan’s main goal is to undermine the OSCE Minsk Group’s mission, occupy Nagorno Karabakh, and commit genocide against its Armenian population. With the threats of a large-scale regional war Azerbaijan continues to disorient the international community and blackmail the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair states and UN Security Council Permanent Members, the United States, Russia, and France, by exerting pressure on Armenia.
Azerbaijani side rejects the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ proposals on monitoring the ceasefire by use of technical and human professional resources, which is fraught with constant threat of the resumption of hostilities along Karabakh-Azerbaijani Line of Contact.
Azerbaijan planned this resumption of hostilities concurrent with the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. As in the past, Azerbaijan once again escalated the conflict, as well as unleashed military actions on the Line of Contact during important international meetings and visits of foreign dignitaries to the region. For example, Azerbaijan initiated similar provocations on the eve of the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Armenia in June 2012 (Azeris kill three more Karabakh soldiers, www.armenia.com.au/news/Armenia-News/English/11824/Azeris-kill-three-more-Karabakh-soldiers/350), as well as ceasefire violations before and after the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Bern on 19 December 2015 (Border concerns: Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting brings no immediate tranquility in conflict zone, www.armenianow.com/karabakh/68860/armenia_karabakh_azerbaijan_reactions_commentaries_talks).
Azerbaijan, rewriting history and distorting the essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, accuses the Republic of Armenia of occupying Nagorno Karabakh. As Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan stressed in his presentation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, those using the word “occupation” with regard to Karabakh should take into account the political fact that Karabakh itself was the victim of “Azerbaijani occupation” for over 70 years: on 5 July 1921, the illegitimate political body of the Bolshevik Party – the Caucasus Bureau – made an illegal decision, under pressure from Stalin, to annex the Armenian-populated Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan. This indeed was an “occupation”. (See the decision of the Caucasus Bureau “Историческая призма”: 1921 год. Большевистские игры вокруг Карабаха. (“Historical prism”. 1921. Bolshevik games around Karabakh), www.memo.ru/d/118764.html).
In this context, it is necessary to briefly introduce the legal foundations for the proclamation of freedom of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
On 30 August 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration on the restoration of the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan in violation of then-current USSR constitution and legislation. In response to this unlawful decision, on 2 September 1991, a resolution was adopted at the joint session of the Councils of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) and Shahumyan District on proclaiming the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (the Republic of Artsakh) on the territory of the NKAO AzSSR and Shahumyan District AzSSR – according to international law and the principles of the 3 April 1990 USSR Law “On the procedure of cessation of a Soviet Republic from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” of the then-operating Soviet legislation. (Закон СССР “О порядке решения вопросов, связанных с выходом союзной республики из СССР” No 1410-1 от 3 апреля 1990 г.” Ведомости Съезда народных депутатов СССР, Верховного Совета СССР”, 1990, No 15, декларация о провозглашении Нагорно-Карабахской Республики; USSR Law “On the procedure for regulation of issues related to the secession of a Union Republic from the USSR” No 1410-1 of 3 April 1990, “Bulletin of the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Council of the USSR”, 1990, No 15, Declaration on the Proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), www.nkr.am/ru/declaration/10/).
On 18 October 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan, continuing its illegal actions, adopted a Constitutional Act on Independence, thus declaring its decision to withdraw from the Soviet state-legal system, and legislatively established its refusal to coordinate, in future, the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh. On 23 November 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan passed a law on the dissolution of the Nagono-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. In response to those illegal acts, on 10 December 1991, a referendum of independence was held in Nagorno Karabakh strictly meeting international standards and the USSR Law of 3 April 1991, and in the presence of international observers. The Azerbaijani minority of NKR was given the opportunity to take part in the referendum. But on Baku’s intructions they declined that opportunity. (Акт о результатах референдума о независимости Нагорно-Карабахской Республики (Act on the results of the referendum of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), www.nkr.am/ru/referendum/42/ ).
Subsequent events eliminated the imperative obligation of coordinating the results of the referendum with the USSR central bodies, since, on 21 December 1991, the Alma-Ata Declaration on dissolving the Soviet Union was signed. (Алма-Атинская Декларация, Алма-Ата, 21 декабря 1991 г. (The Declaration of Alma-Ata, 21 December, 1991), https://cis.minsk.by/page.php?id=178). Hence, the Referendum held on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is legal, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic established as a result is legitimate, and the recognition of its independence is the key to the resolution of the conflict.
Armenia, not calling into question the legality of the Referendum and showing its good will, agreed to accept the Madrid Principles as a basis for further negotiations in support of the Co-Chairs’ activity, along with the proposed statement on continuing additional procedures for the formulation of self-determination. (“Referendum as a gesture af a good will: Peace and war scenarios for Karabakh” https://www.harvard-bssp.org/static/files/390/Lyon%20University%20Yerevan%20INSS%20Regional%20Security%20South%20Caucasus%20Conference.pdf). In this regard, we consider it appropriate to accept the legality of the Referendum on declaring the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the respective corresponding resolutions of Armenia’s agencies on the results of its legitimacy, and to develop and sign an agreement on comprehensive cooperation with NKR.
Qualifying the large-scale hostilities launched by Azerbaijan as provocations to destroy the OSCE Minsk Group platform, we appeal to the UN Secretary General, the Acting Chairman of the UN Security Council, and the Heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair states, abstain from engaging in false equivalency between the aggressor and those defending themselves. So as to prevent the hazard of a large-scale regional war, the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan deserve clear-cut political assessments and punishment.
It should be highlighted that Azerbaijan’s large-scale offensive against NKR never impeded the natural course of public and state life either in Armenia or Artsakh. State authorities and institutions, public organizations, and private enterprises continue to effectively perform their economic, financial, political-diplomatic obligations, loyal to their commitments before citizens and the international, governmental, and non-governmental institutions. In this regard, we underline the commitment of the Armenian sides to democracy, human rights, guaranteeing foreign and domestic investments for the further development of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Appreciating the efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair states to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict, we urge them to:
- use all the necessary means for stabilizing the situation and to not allow any provocations against peace in Nagorno Karabakh,
- urgently raise the effectiveness of the monitoring conducted along the Line of Contact by the OSCE and incorporate the appropriate mechanisms for investigating ceasefire violations with the possibility of sanctions against the violator,
- restore the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as a full party to the negotiations, as envisaged in the Document adopted by the OSCE Senior Council on March 31, 1995,
- recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as a key to the resolution of the conflict.
Political Science Association of Armenia “Political Science and International Relations”
Specialized Doctoral Conferral Committee