Independence for Artsakh
As I think is well known to my regulars, I have a bit of a thing about Armenia, and am a bit late with the news that Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh as it is called in Russian) has declared a new pro-independence constitution in the wake of a referendum with 98.6 support from an 87.2% turnout. Ideally I would wish for Artsakh to merge with Armenia, but it is not politically expedient for Yerevan to go along with this at the moment. I regard Artsakh as a legitimate successor state to the Soviet Union, and I'll let the New England School of Law make the case:
"Nagorno Karabagh has a right of self-determination, including the attendant right to independence, according to the criteria recognized under international law ... The principle of self-determination is included in the United Nations Charter, [and] was further codified in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ... The right to self-determination has also been repeatedly recognized in a series of resolutions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly." The analysis further notes that, as NKR's "independence was declared not from the Soviet Union but from Azerbaijan," and as Nagorno Karabakh "at that time was part of a still existent and internationally recognized Soviet Union," NKR's declaration of independence "fully complied with existing law." In particular, "the 1990 Soviet law titled 'Law of the USSR Concerning the Procedure of Secession of a Soviet Republic from the USSR,' provides that the secession of a Soviet republic from the body of the USSR allows an autonomous region and compactly settled minority regions in the same republic's territory also to trigger its own process of independence." Furthermore, "the USSR Constitutional Oversight Committee did not annul the declaration to establishment the Nagorno Karabagh Republic, since that declaration was deemed in compliance with the then existing law." Source
Naturally, the EU, OSCE, Turkey, Azerbaijan etc are paying this no heed. I would hope for recognition for Somaliland at some point, but I'm not holding my breath.
"Nagorno Karabagh has a right of self-determination, including the attendant right to independence, according to the criteria recognized under international law ... The principle of self-determination is included in the United Nations Charter, [and] was further codified in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ... The right to self-determination has also been repeatedly recognized in a series of resolutions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly." The analysis further notes that, as NKR's "independence was declared not from the Soviet Union but from Azerbaijan," and as Nagorno Karabakh "at that time was part of a still existent and internationally recognized Soviet Union," NKR's declaration of independence "fully complied with existing law." In particular, "the 1990 Soviet law titled 'Law of the USSR Concerning the Procedure of Secession of a Soviet Republic from the USSR,' provides that the secession of a Soviet republic from the body of the USSR allows an autonomous region and compactly settled minority regions in the same republic's territory also to trigger its own process of independence." Furthermore, "the USSR Constitutional Oversight Committee did not annul the declaration to establishment the Nagorno Karabagh Republic, since that declaration was deemed in compliance with the then existing law." Source
Naturally, the EU, OSCE, Turkey, Azerbaijan etc are paying this no heed. I would hope for recognition for Somaliland at some point, but I'm not holding my breath.
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on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 at 7:03 pm.
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Ah, but does the New England School of Law accept that the Southern States had the right to secede from the USA?
But what of the Azerbaijani minority - could this not just be a starting point for a new conflict? What if neighbouring states take sides against Russia? Could this provocation have more to do with internal political questions? Oh yes
D - Interesting point. Can't say that I know its position on that question.
M - Not sure there is much of an Azeri minority, frankly.
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