INTERNATIONAL WATCHDOG SUGGESTS REFERENDUM ON AZERI BREAKAWAY REGION’S STATUS

Mediamax News Agency
Oct 11 2005

Yerevan, 11 October: The International Crisis Group (ICG) has published
a new report on the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,
which suggests determining the final status of Nagornyy Karabakh in
a referendum on self-determination.

The ICG proposes that the referendum should be held “after the return
of displaced Azerbaijanis to the districts of Nagornyy Karabakh where
they used to be in the majority and after an international conference
establishes that Nagornyy Karabakh meets international criteria of
statehood, including the appropriate protection of the rights of the
minority,” Mediamax news agency reports.

Meanwhile, the ICG suggests that such an assessment be given five
years after the signing of the peace agreement.

The ICG suggests that all the participants in the referendum should be
given an opportunity to “choose among an adequate range of possible
solutions, including merger with Azerbaijan or secession from it,”
Mediamax reports.

The International Crisis Group considers that “the referendum should be
held with the compulsory participation of Armenians and Azerbaijanis
from Karabakh, on conditions determined in negotiations under the
leadership of the OCSE and under the principle that the results of
the referendum should be recognized by all sides”.

The International Crisis Group suggests that Nagornyy Karabakh remain
part of Azerbaijan until the referendum, “although in practice it will
be self-governing and enjoy internationally-recognized transitional
status”.