National Assembly Issues Statement

The National Assembly has put forth a draft statement addressing the issues of demarcation and delimitation. The draft was read by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Ishkhan Saghatelyan.

Below is the full text of the statement:

“Based on Article 103 of the Constitution, Article 98 of the constitutional law on the 'Rule of Procedure of the National Assembly', the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia:

Condemns: a) The occupation of the territories of the Republic of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, b) The invasion of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia by the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the ongoing use of force or actual threats of its application, c) The gross violations of international law against persons captured or held hostage even after the cessation of hostilities by Azerbaijan, the refusal to hand them over under the pretext of sham trials, actions that qualify as war crimes.

Notes that: a) The aforementioned criminal actions by Azerbaijan continue to be accompanied by claims against the territories of Armenia and Artsakh, acts of terrorism against the peaceful residents in those areas, desecration of places of worship and church structures that are historical monuments in the occupied settlements. b) The determination of borders is an exclusive jurisdiction of neighboring states, and borders are established through agreements based on international law between neighboring states, in accordance with the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of the United Nations, according to which, among other scenarios, any international agreement is rendered void if it is based on the threat of force or the application of force.

c) The guaranteed exercise of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh in its historical territory and the de-occupation of the occupied territories of Artsakh is a primary condition for establishing peace in the region, as articulated by the chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group. d) Turkey, which was directly involved in the 44-day war, continues to openly support Azerbaijan’s aggressive actions while remaining unpunished. e) International documents signed by representatives of the executive power of the Republic of Armenia that have at least political and military significance produce de facto legal consequences, thereby blatantly circumventing the provisions of Article 117, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

Guided by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which states that issues regarding changes to the territory of the Republic of Armenia are resolved exclusively through a referendum, as well as by the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia dated July 8, 1992.

Finds that: a) Artsakh, which was illegally annexed from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, cannot be included within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Moreover, Azerbaijan has not recognized in its Constitution that it is the successor to the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. b) The Republic of Armenia has no international legal obligation to recognize any borders recorded on any map, especially when such borders do not correspond to the best international practices. c) No person officially representing the Republic of Armenia, including the head of the executive power or other representatives, can agree in writing or orally to violate the aforementioned fundamental legal norms concerning the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia. Any such agreement is void from the outset.

d) Disputes between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan can be resolved solely through peaceful means without the use of force or threats of force.

Demands from the Government of the Republic of Armenia: a) to refrain from any negotiations, written or oral agreements that violate the requirements of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the collective will of the Armenian people expressed in the Declaration of Independence. b) To ensure that the issue of demarcation and delimitation between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan is not separated in any way from the guaranteed exercise of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh in its historical territory.

Calls on international organizations and the parliaments of friendly countries to condemn the ongoing crimes committed by Azerbaijan and Turkey and to take measures aimed at holding them legally accountable.”