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Initiative: Karabakh Starts Lobbying For International Recognition

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  • Initiative: Karabakh Starts Lobbying For International Recognition

    INITIATIVE: KARABAKH STARTS LOBBYING FOR INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
    Naira Hayrumyan

    ArmeniaNow correspondent
    Karabakh | 29.04.10 | 12:40

    A recognized NKR will become a legitimate part of the regional security
    architecture, ensuring its own protection," says Mayilyan.

    Armenian political parties have welcomed the initiative of the Public
    Council for Foreign and Security Policy of Nagorno-Karabakh to start
    lobbying for the international recognition of the self-declared
    republic. Earlier this week the Council appealed to influential
    Diaspora lobbying groups and traditional Armenian parties to step up
    efforts on an international recognition of NKR. Artyusha Shahbazyan,
    secretary of the parliamentary faction of the Armenian Revolutionary
    Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), a party that has strong influence in
    the Diaspora, said that if Stepanakert considers it expedient now to
    come up with such an initiative, it is necessary to support it. The
    head of the ruling Republican Party's parliamentary faction Galust
    Sahakian also says that time has come when Nagorno-Karabakh itself
    should be able to raise issues before the international community.

    Chairman of the Board of the opposition Heritage Party Armen
    Martirosyan thinks the initiative should have been taken a long
    time ago. "Before we turn to the parliaments of foreign countries
    to recognize the independence of the Republic, Stepanakert should
    resolve the issue with Armenia," said Martirosyan. Heritage twice
    initiated the recognition of Karabakh by Armenia, but the initiative
    was dismissed by the government.

    (Authorities in Armenia deem a formal recognition of Karabakh's
    independence inexpedient at the moment as it will draw unnecessary
    international backlash, including accusations of Armenia as being an
    'aggressor' state. Besides, such a decision would turn one of the main
    subjects of the current negotiations, i.e. the status of Karabakh, into
    a moot point thus making further talks meaningless and the likelihood
    of a new war higher. At the same time, Armenia says such a decision
    could be the 'last bullet' in its arsenal should Azerbaijan decide
    to torpedo the talks and opt for a military solution.)

    In an interview with ArmeniaNow chairman of the NKR Public Council
    Masis Mayilyan said that the reason for passiveness in the matter
    of pushing for the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh was the hope of
    resolving problems with Azerbaijan as part of the negotiating process.

    "Now that it is clear that the proposals of the [OSCE] Minsk Group
    clash with the interests of Artsakh [Karabakh] and Armenia, when
    the West and Russia have set precedents of recognizing new states
    without considering the opinion of the former 'center', threats
    of destabilization have been heard from Baku, and lately also from
    Ankara - the issue of NKR's recognition as a mechanism to enhance
    the security of Karabakh has become quite urgent," said Mayilyan.

    He considers that Armenia should continue to participate in the
    Minsk process and simultaneously it is necessary to work purposefully
    towards the international recognition of Karabakh. "A recognized NKR
    will become a legitimate part of the regional security architecture,
    ensuring its own protection," said the expert.

    Mayilyan believes it is necessary to take measures to neutralize the
    Turkish-Azerbaijani military threat. "There may be two options: the
    first is the supply of arms and military equipment to the Armenian
    sides free of charge to maintain the balance of power in the region,
    the second is the international recognition of NKR and its invitation
    under one of the existing 'security umbrellas'," said Mayilyan.

    Expert for the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
    (ACNIS) Mavel Sargsyan says there is one solution - the international
    recognition of the reality. "If the realities are recognized, the
    conflict is exhausted. That is what the policies of Armenia and
    Nagorno-Karabakh should be directed at," said the expert.

    Nagorno-Karabakh, a former autonomous oblast in Soviet Azerbaijan,
    declared its independence from Baku in 1991 after several years of
    ethnic tensions. The Armenian republic's de jure independence has
    not been recognized by the world community or any country yet. In
    2006, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan stated that Karabakh's
    recognition [by Armenia] is possible if the talks with Baku on the
    Karabakh conflict reach an impasse.

    While negotiations have been stalling, Armenian authorities have been
    reluctant to formalize the recognition of Karabakh, presumably not
    to provoke an escalation of conflict.

    Azerbaijan's leadership has repeatedly warned that it will consider
    renewing military operations should Armenia choose to recognize
    Karabakh's independence de jure.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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