We Will Ask for the Recognition of the Republic of Artsakh: Initiative of French Senators

Next week, the French Senate will discuss a draft resolution regarding Artsakh, which calls for the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh's independence. The initiative was presented by Senators Bruno Retailleau, Patrick Manni, Hervé Marseille, Alain Agassi, and Guillaume Gontard.

Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the 'Republicans' group in the upper house of the French parliament, reported the senators' readiness to discuss the draft resolution regarding Artsakh. 'On November 25, the Senate will discuss the draft resolution that proposes France recognize the Republic of Artsakh. Only such independence can safeguard the rights and freedoms of the residents of Artsakh for a long time, who have faced Turkish Islamic expansionism,' he wrote on his Twitter page, according to Armenpress.

Later, Retailleau elaborated on the topic in an interview with 'Sud-Radio.' 'This is happening for the first time. Practically 20 years ago, France was the first to recognize the genocide of Armenians. It is beyond doubt that on November 25, we will be voting for a project that condemns Erdogan's actions and demands the initiation of an international investigation into the war crimes committed in Artsakh. But first and foremost, we will ask for the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh.'

On Wednesday evening, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, also made a similar request following a decision by the Paris Council: 'The Paris Council has voted in favor of a series of measures to assist the Armenians affected by the conflict in Artsakh after several weeks, expressing the desire to recognize the Republic of Artsakh,' she explained.

France's contribution to the preservation of values is undeniable. A large number of intellectuals from the country have already approached UNESCO for the protection of Artsakh's cultural and religious heritage. The recognition of Artsakh, however, is one of the unique opportunities for the legal foundation to protect the Armenian value system, allowing the Armenian people to remain on their land.

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suddenly began to attack and directed all the world's Muslims against the French president in response to Emmanuel Macron's decision to carry out certain measures of national policy in his own country, it became clear that the Turkish secret plan concerning the European continent had effectively been exposed. This indicates not that Turkey supposedly protects Muslims (they are better protected by the state in France), but signals to the world that the Turkish leader plans to seize the Old Continent through certain Muslim circles and, loyal to his own character, commit genocide against European peoples. If people in Europe have this awareness, it is not excluded that they will take the corresponding measures to keep Erdoğan away from their borders. One of those measures could be the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh.

The awareness of the fight of the Artsakh Armenians and their recognition as an independent state will not only affirm the right of Armenians to live freely on their native land but will also become an important measure directed toward the protection of universal values. It will naturally also receive discussion in the parliaments and governments of other countries, becoming a banner for the fight against Turkish-Azerbaijani filth.

Below is the draft resolution for the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh:

The Senate,
Considering Article 34-1 of the Constitution,
Taking into account the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949,
Taking into account the ceasefire agreement of May 12, 1994,
Taking into account the ceasefire agreement of November 9, 2020,
Considering that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has intensified provocations, terrorism, and threats against France, Europe, and other countries in recent years,
Considering that Turkey's expansionist policy in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Near and Middle East, and now also in the South Caucasus is a key factor of destabilization, as such destabilization poses a threat to France and, in general, to Europe,
Considering that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unfolding particularly at the boundary of the two most unstable regions in the world—Caucasus and the Near East—and that it also carries the risk of escalation and potential influence on regional powers,
Considering that Azerbaijan's military support from Turkey is the basis for the aggression that began on September 27, 2020, against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, in addition, considering that Turkey has sent mercenaries to support the Azerbaijani army, who have served in jihadist groups in Syria,
Considering that the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh has not once been subjected to organized slaughter while under Azerbaijani control, particularly in Sumgait (February 25-27, 1988), Kirovabad (November 23, 1988), Baku (January 12-19, 1990), and Maragha (April 10, 1992),
Considering that the reports of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination confirm the impossibility of existence and living freely for the Armenian population in Azerbaijan,
Thus, considering that the security and freedom of Nagorno-Karabakh are not guaranteed by the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Taking into consideration the efforts of France within the framework of the Minsk Group since 1994, which also includes Russia and the USA, to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, furthermore considering its unchanged position of neutrality and its aspiration to promote a phased resolution of the negotiation process of the conflict, additionally considering that this process is seriously hindered by Azerbaijan's resort to a military solution,
Condemns the military aggression of Azerbaijan, carried out with the support of Turkish authorities and foreign mercenaries, and calls on the Azerbaijani armed forces and their supporters to immediately withdraw from the territory gained as a result of military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh conducted since September 27, 2020.
The Government is called upon to provide massive humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, demanding the opening of humanitarian corridors and utilizing all available means,
The Government is called upon to protect the immediate implementation of the people’s protection under the auspices of the Minsk Group through the deployment of international forces in accordance with the proposals of the 2007 peace program,
The Government is called upon to demand an international investigation of war crimes committed in Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly against the civilian population and using weapons prohibited by international law,
The Government is called upon to do everything within its power to ensure negotiations aimed at the long-term resolution of the conflict, ensure the restoration of borders established in 1994, the safety of the Armenian population and the right of displaced persons to return, as well as the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage can be urgently resumed under the Minsk Group, co-chaired by France,
The Government is called upon to pay attention to the diplomatic repercussions of the role played by Turkish authorities and to revise the most appropriate and stringent responses with its European partners,
The Government is called upon to recognize the Republic of Artsakh and to make this recognition a tool for negotiations to establish enduring peace.