Asbarez: Opposition Sounds Alarm on Dangers of the Ankara-Baku ‘Shushi Declaration’

Armenia's National Assembly

Armenia’s Parliament is scheduled to discuss and ratify a bill proposed by the opposition Armenia Alliance, which through the legislation, seeks to sound the alarm about the dangers of the so-called “Shushi Agreement,” signed by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan last June when the two leaders traveled to occupied Shushi.

The parliaments of Turkey and Azerbaijan ratified the “Shushi Declaration,” paving the way for the implementation of its provisions, which include security and military elements.

According to the National Assembly website, the legislature will address the motion on February 23 to make a declaration on the matter.

Below is the text of the proposed statement.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia expresses its deep concern over the the ratification of the Declaration signed by the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan on June 15, 2021 by the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

With this declaration a Turkish-Azerbaijani military-political alliance was formed within the framework of the “One Nation, Two States” concept.

Although the document states that it is not created against a third party, it is entirly directed against the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as the Armenian people. It cements the strategic goals of the two states, which carried out the 44-day aggression against the Artsakh Republic. It also works against the self-determination of the people of Artsakh, the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, territorial integrity and the rights of the Armenian people around the world who survived the genocide.

The wording about the Zangezur Corridor in the declaration indicates that Turkey and Azerbaijan are reaching public agreements on implementing joint expansionist policies.

The agreement by the two states to fight against the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by distorting its veracity, by proposing to relegate it as subject for historical research must be condemned.

The Shushi Declaration is based not on the United Nations Charter or the principles of security adopted by the OSCE, but rather on “tribal security” approach. It contradicts the basic norms of international law.

According to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, all international agreements which contradict the imperative norms of general international law, are null and void and can have no international legitimacy.

The National Assembly declares that the Shushi Declaration, by its provocative and un-constructive nature, is unacceptable for the Republic of Armenia. It is a serious challenge to regional and global security, does not contribute to the peaceful development of our region, contradicts the ‘without preconditions’ principle of Armenian-Turkish normalization process and raises serious doubts about the true actions and intentions of official Ankara.