Karen Ghazaryan
Public Radio of Armenia
Artsakh has gained independence in compliance with all international rights, President of the Against Legal Arbitrariness NGO Larisa Alaverdyan told reporters today.
Historian Edik Minasyan also emphasized the importance of the fact that Artsakh proclaimed its independence in conformity with all legal norms of the time.
According to him, Artsakh declared independence at the moment Azerbaijan had declared itself an independent state and successor of the First Republic of Azerbaijan, while Karabakh had never been part of independent Azerbaijan.
Larisa Alaverdyan noted that the issue was solved de facto, but the Armenian diplomacy failed to reach de jure recognition of Artsakh, although there were opportunities in 1992 and 1994.
“Unfortunately, this did not happen, and it’s the responsibility of the younger generation to reaching de jure recognition of Artsakh,” she said.
“Even today it is possible to show that the independence process started in compliance with human rights and international norms, but was distorted in the future and transferred to a different field,” Larisa Alaverdyan added.
According to her, it was a big mistake to bring the issue out of the context of an Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict and present it as an Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. She believes the efforts of the Armenian side should be targeted at ensuring a more active involvement of Artsakh in international programs.
Historian Edik Minasyan sees some progress in the process of international recognition of Artsakh, meaning the recent Resolution adopted by the California State Senate.
According to political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, the California vote should not be overestimated, either, as it has no legal force. “It’s more of a psychological factor, which shows the power of the Armenian lobby in California,” he said.
The political scientist noted, however, that this recognition was of political significance, as besides being “the most Armenian,” California is the State with the largest population and its representatives play a great role in the Senate.
