Unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh statelet to cease to exist by next Jan. 1

Published September 28,2023

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An unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh statelet will stop to exist by subsequent Jan. 1, in response to a decree signed on Thursday by its titular head, Samvel Shahramanyan.

The Armenian inhabitants of the Karabakh area ought to contemplate the situations of reintegration proposed by Azerbaijan and independently resolve on the opportunity of staying, mentioned the doc printed by portal 24news.am.

“To dissolve all state institutions and organizations under their subordination before January 1, 2024, the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) ceases to exist,” it mentioned, giving the title of the self-styled area, which had existed in title solely.

“After the entry into force of this decree, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, including those located outside the republic, should consider the conditions of reintegration presented by the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to make an independent and individual decision on the possibility of staying (returning) to Nagorno-Karabakh in the future,” the decree mentioned.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian army occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan and 7 adjoining areas.

The so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” was proclaimed in 1991, however it was not acknowledged by any UN member state.

In the autumn of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated a number of cities, villages and settlements in Karabakh from Armenian occupation throughout 44 days of clashes. The struggle ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

Last week, within the wake of provocations by Armenian forces in Karabakh, Azerbaijan mentioned it had launched “counter-terrorism” actions to uphold the trilateral peace pact. After 24 hours, a cease-fire was reached, with Azerbaijan broadly seen because the victor.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are set to fulfill on Oct. 5 within the Spanish metropolis of Granada to debate the signing of a peace treaty between the 2 nations.