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Asnières-sur-Seine Council calls on France to recognize the independence of Artsakh

The Municipal Council of Asnières-sur-Seine, France, has adopted a resolution calling on France to recognize the independence of Artsakh. The resolution reads, in part:

Considering that on July 12 the Azerbaijani army attacked Armenia, waging heavy battles and using heavy weapons. These military operations in the Tavush region were directed against the Republic of Armenia, whose borders are internationally recognized,

Considering the threat of the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan Vagif Dargyakhli on July 16 of this year “to launch a missile at the Metsamor nuclear power plant, causing a catastrophe for Armenia,”

Considering that on September 27 of this year Azerbaijan unleashed a war against the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, targeting cities, especially Stepanakert, and the civilian population,

Considering that for decades, France, within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, along with the United States and Russia, has tried to find a peaceful settlement,

Considering that France has so far acted on the principle of neutrality in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict,

Considering that this neutrality cannot be maintained in the case of Azerbaijan, which has provoked this war against the Armenian civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh,

Considering that Turkey’s supportive stance on Azerbaijan, the provision of Syrian mercenaries, is unacceptable and a threat to further destabilization in the region,

Considering the intensity of the fighting, the use of special weapons, the large-scale deliberate shelling of the civilian population, the use of cluster weapons prohibited by international law, the deliberate bombing of infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and markets,

Considering that the ceasefire signed on October 10, 2020, mediated by Russia and signed by the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, was not respected,

Considering that the ceasefire signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 26, 2020, mediated by the United States of America in Washington, DC, was not respected,

Considering that a final ceasefire was signed on November 9, 2020 under the auspices of Russia, in which France did not participate,

Considering that with this ceasefire the parties stop in the positions they occupied on the same day, to the detriment of the Armenian people, the population of Nagorno Karabakh,

Considering that, despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers, the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh’s existence remains in jeopardy,

Considering that the right of peoples to self-determination is a principle of international law,

Considering that the Republic of Artsakh was proclaimed on September 2, 1991, in accordance with the legislation in force at the time, namely, the “USSR Law of April 3, 1990 on the Procedure for Resolving Issues Related to the Leaving of the USSR,”

Considering that a nationwide referendum was held in Nagorno Karabakh on December 10, 1991 in the presence of international observers, in which 82% of voters took part, of which 99.89% voted for the independence of the Artsakh Republic,

Considering that only the international recognition of the Artsakh Republic will guarantee peace in the region,

Considering that French parliamentarians belonging to different political parties call for the recognition of the Artsakh Republic, that on October 19, 2020, a proposal for a resolution recognizing the Artsakh Republic was submitted to the National Assembly,

Considering that long-standing and friendly relations have been established between the city of Asnières-sur-Seine and the Armenian people, as Asnières-sur-Seine opened its doors to the many Armenian refugees who survived the 1915 genocide and settled in this city,

Considering the resolution submitted by the members of the Asnières-sur-Seine City Council,

the City Council adopts a resolution, stating that:

1. French diplomacy should review its strategy and express the following position: France recognizes the Artsakh Republic, France provides diplomatic assistance to the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh, undertakes to put Europe and the international community on the path of recognition of the Artsakh Republic.

Article 2. This Decision is addressed to the President of the French Republic and to the Government of France.

Article 3. The Mayor shall be given appropriate powers for the proper application of this decision.

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