ARA PAPIAN PROPOSES THAT RA NA APPLY TO PRESIDENT WITH REQUEST TO DECLARE NAGORNO KARABAKH ARMENIA’S REGION

Noyan Tapan

Nov 25, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. "If the world indeed wishes to
solve the Nagorno Karabakh problem on the basis of the norms of
international law, it should take into account a number of decisions
made before," independent expert Ara Papian stated at the November 25
press conference. He reminded that the tripartite Declaration signed
in Moscow contains a principle, according to which Nagorno Karabakh
settlement is considered on the basis of norms and principles
of international law and decisions and documents adopted within
that framework." According to A. Papian, among those decisions
and documents the international community should also take into
consideration several Soviet documents, according to which Nagorno
Karabakh and Nakhichevan were within the administrative jurisdiction
of Azerbaijan, and not part of it.

Besides, the international community should admit that according to the
report (February 24, 1920) of the respective commission of UN’s legal
predecessor, League of Nations, it was envisaged doing demarcation
in the South Caucasus by the principle of national distribution.

According to A. Papian, one should also take into account the
circumstance that according to the USSR laws, autonomous bodies such
as NKR had the right of being the masters of their own fate through
an individual referendum, which was violated by Azerbaijan.

The expert said that in consideration of all that, he has worked out
a written document intended for the RA National Assembly (NA). The
document, in particular, read: "RA NA acting within its jurisdiction
applies to the RA President as the guarantor of the RA territorial
integrity: to take a step in the direction of restoring the RA
territorial integrity, to restore RA sovereignty in the whole territory
controlled by NKR and to declare NKR as RA Nagorno Karabakh region."