Karabakh adopts statement on Azerbaijan's occupation of its territories

PanARMENIAN.Net - The National Assembly of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has declared that Karabakh territories under Baku's control have been occupied by the Azerbaijani military. The statement drafted by lawmaker Davit Melkumyan was approved by Karabakh's parliament on Monday, March 1.

According to the document, Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh and the occupation of said territories can't have a legal impact on the status of the Artsakh Republic and the process of determining its borders during future negotiations.

The National Assembly also reaffirmed that Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed independence on September 2, 1991, based on the USSR legislation and the norms of international law.

The Karabakh lawmakers also agreed that Azerbaijan has violated its obligations to renounce the use of force or threat of force by launching large-scale hostilities against Artsakh, which has resulted in the death of thousands of people and the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage sites.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.