YEREVAN, February 5. /ARKA/. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Foreign Ministry welcomed a resolution adopted by the South Australia state in Australia earlier this month to recognize its rights to self-determination, condemning also Azerbaijan and Turkey for their invasion of the country’s indigenous Armenians.
South Australia is the second state in Australia after the state of New South Wales to do so.
‘The process of international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh at the level of administrative-territorial units of different foreign countries continues,’ the Artsakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It added that the latest achievement in this process has been the adoption of a resolution recognizing the Republic of Artsakh and supporting the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination by the legislature of the Australian State of South Australia.
‘We consider it important that the resolution condemns the Turkish-Azerbaijani armed aggression launched against the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, the policy of hatred against Armenians pursued by the Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities and the consistent destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the occupied territories of Artsakh, as well as calls upon the federal authorities of Australia to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh.
We are convinced that the international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh is of key importance towards creating the necessary conditions for its people to live freely, safely, and decently in its homeland. It will also be an additional impetus for a just and lasting settlement of the Azerbaijan – Karabakh conflict, which should be based on the recognition of the right to self-determination exercised by the people of Artsakh and the cessation of the occupation of the territories of the Republic of Artsakh.
We express our gratitude to all those who made a decisive contribution to the adoption of this resolution and appreciate the resolute stance of the legislature of the State of South Australia, which affirms its commitment to the ideas of human rights, freedom and justice.’
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons.
After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the parties stopped at where they were at that time. The town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Karabakh and adjacent regions, prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead are being exchanged.