Karabakh settlement options

Yerkir/arm
01 April 05

Below is the speech made by Armen Rustamian, Chairman of National
Assembly’s Standing Committee on International Relations, in the
parliamentary hearings on Karabakh conflict settlement.

The doctrine must generalize the approaches of the Armenian side on
the ways for solving the Karabakh issue. It can be divided into three
elements: principles, upon which main positions are based; goal,
which must be the result of the whole process; and strategy, which
must be fully complied with adopted principles and the developments
of the conflict.

Principle or basis

Full and not limited implementation of self-determination right
in terms of solution of the Karabagh issue and settlement of the
conflict. The needed and sufficient arguments for the principle
are: – Affirmation of realizing not on the lands of metropolis but
on own lands, since Karabakh has never been a part of independent
Azerbaijan, – Legal realization of the self-determination process in
compliance with international standards and USSR actual legislation,
РImpossibility to realize Azerbaijan̢~@~Ys territorial integrity
with inclusion of Karabakh , since, first, Karabakh has never been a
part of independent Azerbaijan, – Unrejectable right of the people of
Karabakh for both self-determination, and forming and possessing their
own authorities, – Azerbaijan has lost its right for Karabakh gained by
the illegal decision of the Caucasian bureau in 1921 and conditioned
solely by the existence of USSR. This is mainly due to inability and
unwillingness to respect human rights, secure inter-ethnic peace,
democratic governance and regional stability.

In addition, as a result of decades long ethnic cleansing policy,
the Armenian populated autonomous republic of Nakhichevan has been
depopulated of Armenians.

Under the Soviet dictatorship, the original territories of the
autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh shrank and were reduced. In
response to peaceful and legal demands of the Karabakh Armenians,
Azerbaijani authorities organized the Sumgait massacres, dissolved
the autonomy (which was already independent), and, as a continuation,
launched a massive war on the people of Karabakh . – Eventually,
Azerbaijan, first in its declaration of independence (30.08.91),
and later in constitutional act on independence declared its state
to be in frames of 1918 borders, thus factually renouncing the USSR
inclusion of Karabakh into its territory.

Goals or results expected from the doctrine

Implementation of the self-determination right. This can take place
on two level: international recognition of Karabakh â~@~Ys right for
self-determination or adoption of a proper peace agreement, which must
include at least the following aspects: Status of Karabakh , due and
sufficient security guarantees, issues of refugees and territories,
as mutually needed aspects, and prescription of Armeniaâ~@~Ys role
as a guarantor.

An important statement is that implementation of the self-determination
right may have two logical results: establishment of state independence
or reunion with Armenia, but can by no means be stipulation of
highest extent of autonomy within Azerbaijan, since it is based on
implementation of the national minority right inside a metropolis.

–Boundary_(ID_pur/OMyDIELd9hgrtngvxg)–