ARMENIA SILENT ON RETURN TO AZERBAIJAN OF DISTRICTS AROUND KARABAKH
by Naira Hayrumyan
Kavkazskiy Uzel
October 8, 2008 Wednesday
Russia
7 October: The government of Nagornyy Karabakh is not going to agree to
the return of the seven districts around the former Nagornyy Karabakh
Autonomous Region. Azerbaijan demands this as the first stage of the
settlement [of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict].
The Armenian government, for its part, is not making statements that
would show that it does not intend to return the territories around
the former NKAR, which currently fall under the jurisdiction of the
Nagornyy Karabakh republic – in exchange for including Armenia into
regional communication projects. Both Turkish and US diplomats have
"leaked" reports to that effect, however, Armenian officials are not
refuting these rumours.
The issue of Nor-Shahumyan [Armenian name for Kalbacar] district
(former Kalbacar) was very roughly discussed at a recent session of the
Karabakh government. Members of the government were very discontented
with the work carried out there and called for the speeding up of the
post-war rehabilitation of the region. Kalbacar District is among the
seven districts around the former NKAR that mediators say are to be
returned to Azerbaijan.
Currently a national programme on settling areas around the former
NCAR is being developed, and up to 1bn drams [about 3.3m dollars]
has been allocated to it from the NKR state budget (1 dollar = 300
drams). Social facilities and homes are being built for the people,
mainly refugees from Azerbaijan, who have moved into the area, and
the construction is also being funded by the Armenian diaspora.
A pan-Armenian conference of influential Armenian parties and
charity foundations took place in Berddzor [Armenian name for Lacin]
(Kashatagh, former Lacin District) and a long-term development
programme of the district was approved at it. Currently design work
is being carried out as part of a number of large-scale construction
projects.
The NKR constitution, adopted in 2006, imposes the jurisdiction of
the republic of Nagornyy Karabakh over all the territories under
its control.