Artsakh considers null and void any document signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan

 June 22, 2011 - 20:37 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - NGOs of Karabakh came out with a statement regarding the forthcoming meeting between Presidents of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on June 25 in Kazan. “Reaffirming our previous statements on the Fundamental Principles put forth by Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, we hereby state that we will be considering null and void any document endorsing these principles and signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

It is evident to us that no interstate agreement can have legal force if: 1. it limits fundamental human rights; 2. it is signed under the threat of use of force and economic coercion; and 3. it humiliates the dignity of the people that has won in the national-liberation struggle and deprives it of the results of its own victory.

We remain firmly convinced that the only way to establish peace between Azerbaijan and NKR is the unreserved international recognition of our state and, in this regard, we consider the announcements made by the Government of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in favor of this position of the Artsakh public to be a positive circumstance. Hence, we call on the Presidents of the three states meeting in the city of Kazan on June 26 of this year to take account of this political fact and demonstrate political will to adopt a new format for peaceful negotiations. Peaceful and free development of the region is possible to ensure only through universal respect for human rights. A format of negotiations anchored on this principle will lead to pacific settlement of disputes,” the statement runs.

The trilateral presidential meeting is scheduled for June 25 in Kazan. Experts do not exclude that a certain document on Karabakh conflict settlement will be signed.

There are certain expectations with respect to the meeting, taking into consideration the Deauville statement adopted by the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, who said “the time has arrived for all the sides to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to take a decisive step towards a peaceful settlement. Further delay [in the settlement] would only call into question the commitment of the sides to reach an agreement.”