NAGORNO-KARABAKH EXPECTS INTL COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE ITS RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
Interfax
July 26 2010
Russia
The International Court of Justice’s decision on July 22 on Kosovo
confirms and legalizes the principle that the right of a nation to
self-determination and its implementation do not violate international
law and principles, including the territorial integrity principle,
the Foreign Ministry of the self-proclaimed Nagorno- Karabakh
republic said.
“This decision is extremely important from a legal, political and
moral point of view, and is significant as a universal precedent,
whose application cannot be limited only to Kosovo,” the ministry
said in a statement on Saturday.
Nagorno-Karabakh hopes that “the people of Artsakh [the Armenian name
for Nagorno-Karabakh] have the right to have and build their own state
and be in control of their own fate and this will surely be recognized
by the international community, because it has been exercised in line
with the fundamental principles of international law.”
Nagorno-Karabakh parliament deputy speaker Artur Tovmasian told
Interfax that the Armenian National Assembly can start the process
of recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh republic.
“We do not have to appeal to The Hague Court regarding Nagorno-
Karabakh’s recognition as it has already decided for all the non-
recognized states that priority should be given to the nations’
right to self-determination,” he said.
Azerbaijan, which doubts Karabakh’s independence, can appeal to the
International Court of Justice, Atanesian said.
“Let The Hague Court give it a reply with regard to recognition or non-
recognition of the legitimacy of the de-facto independence of Nagorno
Karabakh. It was not Pristina but the Serbian authorities who asked
the International Court of Justice and got the answer,” Atanesian said.
From: A. Papazian