ArmInfo. Representatives of Armenian public and political organizations, Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, the expert community made a joint statement regarding the legal settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The statement was disseminated following the results of the scientific-practical conference "The Legality of the Formation of the Republic of Artsakh from the Point of View of International Law", and in which the goals and objectives of Artsakh's national liberation struggle for independence from Azerbaijan are unconditionally supported.
"A just settlement of the Artsakh problem is of exceptional importance for the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people as a whole, which also means the need to unite the efforts of the civilized world to form a unified approach to the peaceful resolution of the Artsakh problem. We are ready to support and justify the peace project based on the principles and norms of international law process and legal settlement of the Artsakh problem. Taking advantage of the fact that the international community is not sufficiently informed about the essence of the Artsakh problem, Azerbaijan is trying to present Armenia as an "aggressor" and "occupant" of its territories, including Artsakh, "forgetting" the indisputable fact that Azerbaijan was in 1988-1992 at the state level, again resumed the policy of genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass forced deportation, under the threat of physical extermination, in relation to more than 500.000 peaceful citizens of Armenian nationality. The aggression continued in the form of large-scale military actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against the civilian population of Artsakh, in response to the just and legitimate demands of the people of Artsakh – to live safely and freely on their land, which is an integral part of the ancestral home of the Armenian people, "said statement received by ArmInfo.
Regarding the history of the issue, the conference participants recalled the legal aspects of the Karabakh problem, which arose in the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of the historical and political events that took place then and afterwards.
The statement stresses that the legal aspects of the emergence of the conflict prove the validity of the national liberation struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh and the legal invulnerability of this process.
"Thus, considering the Artsakh problem as a task of national importance, we declare a single position: first, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic gained its independence from Azerbaijan, applying all the necessary legal procedures, strictly following the legislation of the USSR and international legal norms. Therefore, the only and a legal basis for the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh problem, may be a process under the rule of norms and provisions of international law, which means that the problem must be resolved exclusively about legal means.
Secondly, while noting the irreversible changes that have taken place in the NKR (Republic of Artsakh) for 30 years, we consider inadmissible such a negotiation process in which unreasonable concessions can be imposed on the Armenian side. The Republic of Artsakh, as a state entity, with its territory, population, state, democratic institutions, economic and legal systems is an accomplished reality. Therefore, it must be restored in the negotiation process as a full party. Otherwise, the settlement of the problem is impossible. Thirdly, we will make all our efforts to protect all the achievements of the national liberation struggle and are determined to respond adequately to any encroachment on the security of our people, "the statement says.
In conclusion, the participants of the conference appeal to the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to implement the proposal of the "In Defense of the Artsakh Republic" organizing committee, promulgated in 1996, to convene a congress of plenipotentiaries of pan-Armenian structures at which the world community will be formed, in which the world community will be formed, the united position of the Armenian people on the peaceful settlement of the Artsakh problem is presented to the UN member countries.