Nagorno Karabakh FM: Granting autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh is out of Baku competence

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Recently, Azerbaijani Republic FM Elmar Mammadyarov claimed readiness to grant Nagorno Karabakh the highest status of autonomy adopted in the world, including the one equal to Tatarstan’s status within the Russian Federation.

Nagorno Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrosyan commented on the issue, REGNUM correspondent in Stepanakert reported.

“The statement, unless it is another propagandistic ploy, means that the Azerbaijani leadership is ready for their country’s federalization. From this viewpoint, one would hope that the above-mentioned status will be granted to Lezgins, Talyshes, and other nations residing in Azerbaijan. As for the NKR, with which the Azerbaijani leadership avoids any contacts, it should be underscored that official Baku cannot grant any status to Nagorno Karabakh, as the issue is out of Azerbaijan’s competence. Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s status is determined within the legal framework by the nation residing here. The essence of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is that the Azerbaijani party failed to resolve issues of the kind and resorted to armed aggression.”

“Official Baku continues to ignore the reality where the NKR’s independence is the greatest value of the Republic’s people that has been declared at a nation-wide referendum on state independence December 10, 1991. The NKR people not only protected their right to be in charge of their own fate in the course of the imposed war, but, for the last 15 years, at least 7 times reaffirmed their will via democratic nation-wide presidential and parliamentary elections, when they voted for programs of both individual candidates and political parties that spoke up for the Republic’s state independence.”