Comments by Deputy Foreign Minister Tatoul Markarian on Nagorno Karabakh Conflict Settlement (February 6, 2004)

QUESTION: Can you comment on the parallels drawn between the cases of East Timor and Nagorno Karabakh? 

ANSWER: Armenia’s policy has consistently been aimed at the recognition of the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination. I am confident that this is the most direct path to a comprehensive solution of this conflict, to the establishment of a lasting peace in the region and of normal relations between the two peoples. As to the reference to the case of East Timor, undoubtedly this is an exemplary case of a resolution of a protracted conflict through the recognition and realization of a people's right to self-determination. And this is not the only such case: in the modern world, there are more and more cases of the application of the right to self-determination in one form or another, both by conflicting parties and by the international community to prevent or to settle existing conflicts. In the last decade alone, this option has been chosen in the cases of East Timor, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Southern Sudan, Serbia and Montenegro, Puerto Rico and elsewhere.

One cannot disagree with the opinion that first of all it is Azeris and Armenians who must think about this. The variety and quantity of these real examples is confirmation that in today's civilized world, Azerbaijan's recognition of the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self determination in no way should be interpreted as a loss of dignity of the Azerbaijani people. Moreover, this is exactly the way towards development and prosperity for the two nations.

 

Statement by Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in Armenian National Assembly hearings on resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue

 

Thank you. I welcome this opportunity to discuss aloud and together the history, development, present situation and future prospects for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue. I believe the idea is both good and timely. I believe that such joint, public explorations are useful and should facilitate a healthy civic debate on premises and prospects, always with the purpose clearly in mind: that what we seek is a peaceful, lasting resolution to this conflict.

I've looked at the agenda of these two days; the topics and speakers are very diversified and reflect varying political perspectives and political forces. Such a diversified spectrum will provide us with a better picture of the range of opinions in our republic on this issue.

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Brief synopsis of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict

© Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the United States, August 2003

Introduction

Nagorno Karabakh, or Artsakh, is a historically Armenian territory which, over the past two thousand years, has formed part of Armenia, Aghvank (Caucasian Albania), Persia, and the Russian Empire. Its Armenian roots reach back to first millennium B.C.E. The term Nagorno-Karabakh, the most common international designation for the region, has a curious pedigree: Nagorno is an inflected Russian adjective for ‘mountainous’ and Karabakh is a Farsi/Turkic word meaning ‘black garden.’ The Armenian name for the region is Artsakh. The term Nagorno-Karabakh made its first appearance in 1923, when the Soviet Government, having earlier placed the region in Soviet Azerbaijan, institutionalized the de-facto existing Armenian autonomy there, calling it the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District. Its current official name is the Republic of Mountainous Karabakh (Artsakh).

Historical Background of the Conflict

Ancient Times
Artsakh was a geographic region of historical Armenia (Armenia Maior in the works of Ptolemy and Pliny). After...

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STATEMENT
OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
ON THE RESULTS OF THE OSCE MINSK GROUP FACT-FINDING MISSION


The OSCE Minsk Group Fact-Finding Mission has officially presented its report to the OSCE Permanent Council. Armenia appreciates the diligent, hard work of the Minsk Group co-chairs and the members of the Mission. We believe that their detailed, first-hand, objective report clearly describes the situation on the ground in the region.

Armenia is pleased that it was able to facilitate the mission. Armenia also wishes to thank the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh for their logistical and practical contributions to the success of the Mission.

Armenia believes that the most important accomplishment of the Fact Finding Mission Report is that it has laid to rest Azerbaijan’s charges.

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"Nagorno Karabakh Conflict Settlement and the Prospects for a Peaceful Resolution After the Key West Talks"

Remarks by Ambassador Arman Kirakossian
/ 2225 R Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20008, USA ' (202) 319-1976 , fax (202) 319-2982