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| {{Infobox Country or territory | |||
| |native_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">{{Hayeren|Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետություն}}<br>Dağlıq Qarabağ Respublikası</span> | |||
| |conventional_long_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Nagorno-Karabakh Republic</span> | |||
| |common_name = Nagorno-Karabakh | |||
| |image_flag = Flag of Nagorno-Karabakh.svg | |||
| |image_coat = Nagorno-Karabakh Coat of Arms.png | |||
| |image_map = Location Nagorno-Karabakh2.png | |||
| |national_anthem = '']''<br>("Free and Independent Artsakh") | |||
| |official_languages = ]<sup>1<sup> | |||
| |main_religion = ] ] | |||
| |capital = ] (Khankendi) | |||
| |latd=|latm=|latNS=|longd=|longm=|longEW= | |||
| |largest_city = | |||
| |government_type = ] | |||
| |leader_title1 = ] | |||
| |leader_title2 = ] | |||
| |leader_name1 = ] | |||
| |leader_name2 = ] | |||
| |area_rank = | |||
| |area_magnitude = 1 E9 | |||
| |area = 4,400 | |||
| |areami² = 1,699 <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| |percent_water = | |||
| |population_estimate = 145,000 | |||
| |population_estimate_rank = n/a | |||
| |population_estimate_year = 2002 | |||
| |population_census = | |||
| |population_census_year = | |||
| |population_density = ? | |||
| |population_densitymi² = ? <!--Do not remove per ]--> | |||
| |population_density_rank = n/a | |||
| |GDP_PPP = | |||
| |GDP_PPP_rank = | |||
| |GDP_PPP_year = | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita = | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = | |||
| |sovereignty_type = Independence | |||
| |sovereignty_note = from ] | |||
| |established_event1 = ] | |||
| |established_event2 = Proclaimed | |||
| |established_event3 = Recognition | |||
| |established_date1 = ] ] | |||
| |established_date2 = ] ] | |||
| |established_date3 = none<ref name="recognition"></ref> | |||
| |HDI = | |||
| |HDI_rank = | |||
| |HDI_year = | |||
| |HDI_category = | |||
| |currency = ] | |||
| The current conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988, when the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh unilaterally declared their independence from Azerbaijan, with the intent of uniting with the Republic of Armenia. At that time, ethnic Armenians comprised about 65 percent of Nagorno-Karabakh. This push by the ethnic Karabakh Armenians to secede from Azerbaijan was instigated by Armenia, which has had territorial claims against Azerbaijan as part of its desire to create a Greater Armenia by expanding its territory. Armenian soldiers and arms are being used to carry out this policy. | |||
| |currency_code = AMD | |||
| |country_code = | |||
| |time_zone = | |||
| |utc_offset = +4 | |||
| |time_zone_DST = | |||
| |utc_offset_DST = +5 | |||
| |cctld = | |||
| |calling_code = 374 97<br>(Karabakh Telecome GSM) | |||
| |footnotes = <sup>1<sup>Meanwhile the constitution guarantees "the free use of other languages spread among the population." | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Nagorno-Karabakh''' is a '']'' independent republic in the ], officially part of the Republic of ], about 270 kilometres (170 miles) west of the Azerbaijani capital of ], and very close to the border with ]. | |||
| The conflict was escalated by Russia's political and military support of Armenia. Russia is using the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as part of its long-time policy of "divide and conquer." Since 1993, Armenia has received $1 billion in arms shipments from Russia. These arms, including the most modern Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers, SCUD missiles and tons of ammunition, were shipped through Armenia to the site of the conflict inside Azerbaijan. | |||
| The predominantly ] region became a source of dispute between the republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan when both countries gained independence from the ] in 1918. After the ] expanded into the South Caucasus, it established the ] (NKAO) within the ] in ]. On ] ], as the ], a referendum held in the NKAO and the neighboring district of ] resulted in a ] from Azerbaijan as the '''Nagorno-Karabakh Republic''' ('''NKR'''), which ] by any ] or ], including Armenia. | |||
| A series of Armenian offensives, beginning in 1992 and backed by Russian arms, resulted in the Armenian occupation of almost 20 percent of Azerbaijan territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other districts. As a result, Azerbaijan is left with approximately 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were forced to flee for their lives. | |||
| In the final years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the region was again a source of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, culminating in the ]. Since the end of the war in ], most of Nagorno-Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan around it remain under ] control. Since then, the parties have been holding peace talks mediated by the ]. | |||
| A cease-fire was negotiated in May 1994, but all attempts to negotiate a settlement have failed. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began its mediation efforts in 1992, and in 1995 at a summit meeting in Lisbon, 53 out of 54 member states of the OSCE endorsed a statement of three principles upon which the conflict should be settled. Armenia was the only country that refused to support the statement because it supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia . | |||
| ==Etymology== | |||
| The region's names in various languages tend to have the same approximate meaning. The word "Karabakh" originated from ] and ], literally meaning "black garden."<ref name= "bbc2005"></ref> The name first appears in ] and Persian sources in the 13th and 14th centuries.<ref name="asev7">{{Hy icon}} Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia, ''The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast'', Vol. 7, Yerevan 1981. p. 26</ref> The related term ''Karabagh'' is described by the ] as being used to denote a kind of patterned ] originally produced in the area, and is an acceptable alternate spelling of Karabakh. | |||
| In 1996, the OSCE appointed three co-chairs to its Minsk Conference-the United States, Russia and France. The Minsk Conference is charged with the responsibility of negotiating peace in this region. These co-chairs then developed a two-staged peace proposal: (1) withdrawal of Armenian forces from all regions of Azerbaijan except Nagorno-Karabakh; and (2) negotiations on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan. This proposal was accepted by Azerbaijan and by Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian. However, it was opposed by hard-line elements within Armenia and ethnic Armenians within Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result, President Ter-Petrossian was forced from office, replaced by hard-line elements. | |||
| The names for the region in the various local languages all translate to "mountainous Karabakh", or "mountainous black garden": | |||
| Now the peace process is up in the air again. Azerbaijan remains committed to a peaceful solution based on the following Lisbon principles: (1) recognition of territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia; (2) Azerbaijan will grant the highest level of self-rule to Nagorno-Karabakh; and (3) security guarantees will be provided to the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh . | |||
| * ]: {{Hayeren|Լեռնային Ղարաբաղ}}, ] ''Lernayin Gharabagh'' | |||
| * ]: '''Dağlıq Qarabağ''', or '''Yuxarı Qarabağ''' (meaning "upper Karabakh") | |||
| * ]: '''Нагорный Карабах''', ] ''Nagornyj Karabakh'' | |||
| Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave inside Azerbaijan, and has no border with Armenia. Before the conflict started, Armenia deported some 200,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia. Then it occupied the whole territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions and, in effect, has annexed Nagorno-Karabakh and this territory to Armenia. In the process all Azerbaijanis previously living in these regions which belong to Azerbaijan were forced to flee for their lives. | |||
| This is not confined only to the local languages of the region; the name in ] is ''Haut-Karabakh'' (upper Karabakh), though "Nagorno-Karabakh" was intensively used in the French media in the 1990s. | |||
| It might be noted that even the Nazis allowed inhabitants of their occupied territories to stay and live there. But Armenians have rid Azerbaijanis from the entire occupied territories. Khojaly, a small Azerbaijani town in Nagorno-Karabakh, is a sad example of genocide, when overnight the whole town was destroyed, more than 700 innocent civilians, including many women and children, were murdered and others were forcefully deported. The President of Azerbaijan has subsequently declared March 31 as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis in commemoration of that occasion and other earlier tragic massacres. | |||
| It is often referred to by the ] living in the area as ''']''' (Armenian: {{Hayeren|Արցախ}}; Azeri: Ərsak; Russian: Арцах), meaning "Woods of Aramanyak" ("Tsakh" is Armenian for Woods, "Ar" is abbreviation for Aramanyak). In Azerbaijani, ''Ərsak'' means Land ("Ər"/"Ar") of ] — an Iranian people related to ] who invaded the area in the 7th century BC. In Urartian inscriptions (9th–7th cc BC), the name Urtekhini is used for the region.{{fact}} | |||
| Ancient Greek sources called the area Orkhistene.<ref>http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0198&loc=11.14.1; Strabo 11.14.4</ref> | |||
| Azerbaijan has accepted and supported all peace initiatives of the OSCE. Now, Armenia must decide whether it wishes to further isolate itself from the rest of the world community or join in seeking a just and honorable compromise to this 10-year old conflict. | |||
| ==Politics== | |||
| ]] | |||
| {{morepolitics|country=Nagorno-Karabakh}} | |||
| Politics of Nagorno Karabakh take place in a framework of a ] ] ], whereby the ] is both ] and ], and of a pluriform multi-party system. ] is exercised by the government. ] is vested in both the ] and the ]. The republic lies within the territory of Azerbaijan. Its independence and elections are not recognized by any state in the world. The current ] is ]. | |||
| The NKR has close relations with the Armenian government and maintains the ] as its own uniformed military force. | |||
| ==Divisions== | |||
| ] | |||
| The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has six divisions within it, which correspond perfectly with the five districts of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), and with the Shahumyan rayon of the Azerbaijan SSR. Following the declaration of NKR's independence, the Azerbaijani government passed a decision to abolish NKAO and create Azerbaijani rayons in its place. As a result, some of NKR's divisions correspond perfectly with ], while others use different borders. This is a comparative table of the current divisions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the corresponding rayons of Azerbaijan.<ref name="azerbregions"></ref> This is a comparative table of the current divisions of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the corresponding rayons of Azerbaijan.<ref name="azerbregions"></ref> | |||
| {| align=center border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 style="margin: 0 0 0 1em; background: #ffffff; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" | |||
| |- style="text-align:center; background: #efefef; border-bottom:2px solid gray;" | |||
| ! Nagorno-Karabakh division | |||
| ! Azerbaijani rayon | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |] | |||
| |align="center" |] (city), ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |] | |||
| |align="center" |southern ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |] | |||
| |align="center" |eastern ] and western ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |] | |||
| |align="center" |northern ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |]* | |||
| |align="center" |] (city), southern ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |] | |||
| |align="center" |] (city), ] | |||
| |} | |||
| The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic claims ], which was not part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Representatives from Shahumian declared independence along with Nagorno-Karabakh, and the proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic includes the Shahumian region within its borders. Unlike the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh, Shahumian remains under Azerbaijani control. | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| ] in ], Nagorno-Karabakh.]] | |||
| The region has a total area of 4,400 square kilometers (1,699 sq mi) and is surrounded entirely by ]; its nearest point to Armenia is across the ], roughly 4 kilometers across. In ], it had a population of 192,000.<ref name=populaton>Armenia: portraits of survival and hope - Page 7 by Donald E. Miller, Lorna Touryan Miller - 2003</ref> The population at that time was mainly Armenian (76%) and ]s (23%), with ] and ] minorities.<ref name=populaton>Armenia: portraits of survival and hope - Page 7 by Donald E. Miller, Lorna Touryan Miller - 2003</ref> The capital is ] (known in Azerbaijan as Xankəndi, ''Khankendi''). Its other major city, today lying partially in ruins, is ] (]: '']''). | |||
| The current borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, established in Soviet times, resemble a ] with the indentation on the east side. It has very tall mountain ridges along the northern edge and along the west, and the south is very mountainous. The part near the indentation of the kidney bean itself is a relatively flat valley, with the two edges of the bean, the provinces of ] and ], having flat lands as well. Other flatter valleys exist around the ], ], and the south. Much of Nagorno-Karabakh is ]ed, especially the mountains. <ref>The Psychology of Nationalism: The Myth of Venice in British Culture, 1660-1797 - Page 33 by Joshua Searle-White - 2001 - 272 pages</ref> | |||
| The territory of modern Nagorno-Karabakh forms a portion of the historic region of Karabakh, which lies between the rivers Kura, Araxes, and the modern Armenia-Azerbaijan border. In the ancient and medieval times, this larger region consisted of the historic provinces of ] and ], which at various times alternated between the kingdoms of Armenia and Caucasian Albania. Beginning with the 13th-14th centuries, the Artsakh-Utik area received the name Karabakh. The eastern portion of Karabakh (roughly corresponding to Utik) lies on a lower and flatter surface, and has traditionally been called Lower Karabakh, while the western, mountainous portion (roughly corresponding to Artsakh) has been referred to as Mountainous, Upper, or High Karabakh. Nagorno Karabakh in its modern borders is part of the larger region of Upper Karabakh. | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| {| align=center border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 style="margin: 0 0 0 1em; background: #ffffff; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" | |||
| |- style="text-align:center; background: #efefef; border-bottom:2px solid gray;" | |||
| ! Year | |||
| ! Armenian | |||
| ! Azeri | |||
| ! Russian | |||
| ! Notes | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |1923<ref>De Waal, Thomas. Black garden: ''Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War''. New York: New York University Press, 2003. p. 130. ISBN 0-8147-1945-7</ref> | |||
| |align="center" |94% | |||
| |align="center" |N/A | |||
| |align="center" |N/A | |||
| |align="center" |At the time of when it was an autonomous oblast; exact figures of the period are conflicting. | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |1979<ref>{{Hy icon}} Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia, ''The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast'', Vol. 4, Yerevan 1978. p. 576</ref> | |||
| |align="center" |80.5% | |||
| |align="center" |18.1% | |||
| |align="center" |0.9% | |||
| |align="center" |Figures from the 1970 Soviet census | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |1988<ref>Sancton, Thomas A. Time Magazine. March 7, 1988.</ref> | |||
| |align="center" |75% | |||
| |align="center" |23% | |||
| |align="center" |N/A | |||
| |align="center" |Armenian figure widely quoted by media sources; others place it near 80%. | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="center" |2001<ref> </ref> | |||
| |align="center" |95% | |||
| |align="center" |Under 1% | |||
| |align="center" |N/A | |||
| |align="center" |Other minorities currently living in the region include ], ], and ] | |||
| |}</center> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| {{main|History of Nagorno-Karabakh}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| The region of Nagorno-Karabakh falls within the lands occupied by peoples known to modern archaeologists as the ], who lived between the two rivers bearing those names. Little is known of the ancient history of the region, primarily because of the scarcity of historical sources. At various times in antiquity that are difficult to establish with precision at this time, this area was part of Aghbania, or ], and at others, of ]. | |||
| ] Armenian monastery, 13th century]] | |||
| In the ] and ] centuries, the region was ruled by ]-appointed governors. The Albanian church, which had been founded by Catholicos Grigor--the head the Armenian Church--in the 4th c. AD, was later fully absorbed by the Armenian Church <ref>http://www.vehi.net/istoriya/armenia/kagantv/aluank1.html Movses Kaghankatvatsi, "History of Albania," 1.9</ref><ref>Nagorno Karabagh: transition and the elite - Volume 18, Number 4 / December 1, 1999</ref>. In the ], the ] was established in Artsakh. | |||
| In the ], the territory of Karabakh was part of the states of ] and then ]. In the early ], after the fall of the Ak-Koyunlu state, control of the region passed to the ] dynasty of ], that created a ] (''beglarbekdom'', bəylərbəyliyi). Despite these conquests, the population of Upper Karabakh remained largely Armenian<ref> http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/1999_NK_Book.pdf Cornell, Svante E. The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Uppsala: Department of East European Studies, April 1999]</ref>. In the ], a local Armenian leadership emerged, consisting of noble dynasties led by princes, who held the titles of meliks. Initially under the control of the ] of the Persian Empire, the Armenian meliks were granted wide degree of autonomy by the Safavid Empire over Upper Karabakh. The Armenian meliks maintained control over the region for four centuries, until mid-18th century.<ref> </ref> In the early 18th century, Persia's Nadir shah took Karabakh out of control of Ganja khans in punishment for their support of ]s, and placed it under his own control<ref>{{ru icon}} .</ref><ref>{{ru icon}} ; according to a 18th c. local Turkic-Muslim writer Mirza Adigezal bey, Nadir shah placed Karabakh under his own control, while a 19th c. local Turkic Muslim writer Abbas-gulu Aga Bakikhanov states that the shah placed Karabakh under the control of the governor of Tabriz.</ref> At the same time, the Armenian meliks were granted supreme command over neighboring Armenian principalities and Muslim khans in Caucasus, in return for the meliks' victories over the invading Ottoman Turks in 1720's. <ref>C.J. Walker, "Armenia: Survival of a Nation," London 1990, p. 40.</ref> In the mid-], as internal conflicts between the meliks led to their weakening,<ref> http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/1999_NK_Book.pdf Cornell, Svante E. The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Uppsala: Department of East European Studies, April 1999]</ref> the ] was formed within the Persian Empire.<ref></ref> Karabakh passed to ] by the ], signed between the Khan of Karabakh and the Russian ] in 1805, and later further formalized by the Russo-Persian ] in ], before the rest of ] was incorporated into the Empire in ] by the ]. In ], the Karabakh khanate was dissolved, and the area became part of the Elizavetpol governorate within the ]. | |||
| After the ], Karabakh became part of the ], but this soon dissolved into separate ]n, ]i, and ] states. Over the next two years (1918-1920), there were a series of short ] over Nagorno-Karabakh. In July 1918, the First Armenian Assembly of Nagorno Karabagh declared the region self-governing and created a National Council and government.<ref>http://www.nesl.edu/center/pubs/nagorno.pdf The Nagorno-Karabagh Crisis: A Blueprint for Resolution, New England Center for International Law & Policy</ref> Later, Ottoman troops entered Karabakh, meeting armed resistance by Armenians. After the defeat of ] in the ], the British troops occupied Karabakh.<ref> http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/1999_NK_Book.pdf Cornell, Svante E. The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Uppsala: Department of East European Studies, April 1999]</ref> The British command provisionally affirmed ] (appointed by the Azerbaijani government) as the governor-general of Karabakh and Zangezur, pending final decision by the ].<ref></ref> The decision was opposed by Karabakh Armenians. In February 1920, the Karabakh National Council preliminarily agreed to Azerbaijani jurisdiction, while Armenians elsewhere in Karabakh continued the guerrilla fighting, never accepting the agreement.<ref>http://www.nesl.edu/center/pubs/nagorno.pdf The Nagorno-Karabagh Crisis: A Blueprint for Resolution, New England Center for International Law & Policy</ref><ref> http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/1999_NK_Book.pdf Cornell, Svante E. The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Uppsala: Department of East European Studies, April 1999]</ref> The agreement itself was soon annulled by the Ninth Karabagh Assembly, which declared union with Armenia in April.<ref>http://www.nesl.edu/center/pubs/nagorno.pdf The Nagorno-Karabagh Crisis: A Blueprint for Resolution, New England Center for International Law & Policy</ref><ref>Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: A Legal Appraisal by Tim Potier. ISBN 90-411-1477-7</ref><ref></ref> | |||
| In April of 1920, while the Azerbaijani army was locked in Karabakh fighting local Armenian forces, Azerbaijan was taken over by Bolsheviks.<ref></ref> Subsequently, the disputed areas of Karabakh, Zangezur, and Nakhichevan came under the control of Armenia. During July and August, however, the Red Army occupied Karabakh, Zangezur, and part of Nakhichevan. On August 10, 1920, Armenia signed a preliminary agreement with the Bolsheviks, agreeing to a temporary Bolshevik occupation of these areas until final settlement would be reached.<ref>Christopher Walker, "Armenia: The Survival of a Nation," London, 1980, ISBN 0-415-04684-X; pp. 285-290</ref> In ], ] and ] were also taken over by the ] who, in order to attract public support, promised they would allot Karabakh to Armenia, along with ] and ] (a strip separating ] from Azerbaijan proper). However, ] also had far-reaching plans concerning Turkey -- hoping that it would, with a little help from Russia, develop along ] lines. Needing to appease Turkey, Moscow agreed to a division under which Zangezur would be under the control of Armenia, while Karabakh and Nakhchivan would be under the control of Azerbaijan. As a result, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was established within the ] on ], ]. | |||
| With the beginning of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the question of Nagorno-Karabakh re-emerged. Accusing the Soviet Azerbaijani government in conducting forced Azerification of the region, the majority Armenian population, with ideological and material support from Armenia, started a movement to transfer it to Armenia. | |||
| ]On ], ], Armenian deputies to the National Council of Nagorno-Karabakh voted to unify that region with Armenia. On ], ], a direct confrontation between Azerbaijanis and Armenians near Askeran (in Nagorno-Karabakh, on the road between ] and ]) degenerated into a skirmish.{{fact}} Large numbers of refugees left Armenia and Azerbaijan as pogroms began against the minority populations of the respective countries.{{fact}} In the fall of 1989, intensified inter-ethnic conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh led Moscow to grant Azerbaijani authorities greater leeway in controlling that region.{{fact}} The Soviet policy backfired, however, when a joint session of the ] and the National Council, the legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh, proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.{{fact}} | |||
| In a December 1991 referendum, boycotted by local Azerbaijanis,{{fact}} Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh approved the creation of an independent state. A Soviet proposal for enhanced autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan satisfied neither side, and ] subsequently erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan. | |||
| The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and Azerbaijan attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In the post-Soviet power vacuum, military action between Azerbaijan and Armenia was heavily influenced by the ]n military. Furthermore, Azeri military employed a very large number of mercenaries from Ukraine and from Russia. As many as one thousand Afghan mojahedeens participated in the fighting.<ref></ref> Also there were fighters from ] fighting on the side of Azerbaijan.<ref> http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav051402.shtml</ref><ref> </ref> | |||
| By the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. By May 1994 the Armenians were in control of 14% of the territory of Azerbaijan. At that stage the Government of Azerbaijan for the first time during the entire duration of the conflict recognised Nagorno-Karabakh as a third party of the war and started direct negotiations with the Karabakhi authorities.{{fact}} As a result, an unofficial cease-fire was reached on ], ], through Russian negotiation, and continues today. | |||
| ==Current situation== | |||
| Today, Nagorno-Karabakh is a ''de facto'' independent state, calling itself the ''Nagorno-Karabakh Republic''.<ref name="bbc2005"/> It is closely tied to the Republic of Armenia and uses the same currency, the ]. According to ], "from the beginning of the Karabakh conflict, Armenia provided aid, weapons, and volunteers. Armenian involvement in Karabakh escalated after a December 1993 Azerbaijani offensive. The Republic of Armenia began sending conscripts and regular Army and Interior Ministry troops to fight in Karabakh."<ref></ref> The politics of Armenia and the de-facto Karabakh republic are so intermingled that a former president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, ], became first the prime minister (]) and then the president of Armenia (] to the present). | |||
| Still, successive Armenian governments have resisted internal pressure to unite the two, fearing reprisals from Azerbaijan and from the international community, which still considers Nagorno-Karabakh part of Azerbaijan.{{fact}} In his case study of Eurasia, Dov Lynch of the Institute for Security Studies of WEU believes that "Karabakh's independence allows the new Armenian state to avoid the international stigma of aggression, despite the fact that Armenian troops fought in the war between 1991-94 and continue to man the Line of Contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijan." Lynch also cites that the "strength of the Armenian armed forces, and Armenia's strategic alliance with Russia, are seen as key shields protecting the Karabakh state by the authorities in Stepanakert."<ref></ref> | |||
| ] and Azerbaijan President ] at a peace conference (one of many) in Astana, ].]] | |||
| At present, the mediation process is at a standstill, with the most recent discussions in ], France, yielding no agreement.{{fact}} Azerbaijan's position has been that Armenian troops withdraw from all areas of Azerbaijan outside Nagorno-Karabakh, and that all displaced persons be allowed to return to their homes before the status of Karabakh can be discussed.{{fact}} Armenia does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as being legally part of Azerbaijan, arguing that because the region declared independence at the same time that Azerbaijan became an independent state, both of them are equally ]s of the Soviet Union.{{fact}} The Armenian government insists that the government of Nagorno-Karabakh be part of any discussions on the region's future, and rejects ceding occupied territory or allowing refugees to return prior to talks on the region's status.{{fact}} | |||
| Representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, ], Russia and the ] met in ] and in ], ], in the Spring of 2001.<ref name="state2001"></ref> The details of the talks have remained largely secret, but the parties are reported to have discussed non-hierarchical relationships between the central Azerbaijani government and the Karabakh Armenian authorities.{{fact}} Despite rumours that the parties were close to a solution, the Azerbaijani authorities — both during ]'s period of office, and after the accession of his son ] in the October 2003 elections — have firmly denied that any agreement was reached in Paris or Key West. | |||
| Further talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian, were held in September 2004 in Astana, ], on the sidelines of the ] (CIS) summit. Reportedly, one of the suggestions put forward was the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the Azeri territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and holding ] (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region. On ] and 11, 2006, Kocharian and Aliyev met in ], ], to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict, including the withdrawal of troops, formation of international peace keeping troops, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.{{fact}} During the weeks and days before the talks in France, ] co-chairmen expressed cautious optimism that some form of an agreement was possible.{{fact}} French President ] met with both leaders separately and expressed hope that the talks would be fruitful.{{fact}} Contrary to the initial optimism, the Rambouillet talks did not produce any agreement, with key issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and whether Armenian troops would withdraw from ] still being contentious. | |||
| The latest talks were held at the Polish embassy in ], ].<ref></ref> Again, American, Russian, and French diplomats attended the talks that lasted over 40 minutes.<ref></ref> Earlier, Armenian President Kocharian announced that he was ready to "continue dialogue with Azerbaijan for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and with Turkey on establishing relations without any preconditions."<ref></ref> | |||
| Unfortunately, according to Armenian foreign minisiter, ], no progress was made at this latest meeting. Both presidents failed to reach a consensus on the issues from the earlier Rambouillet conference. He noted that the Kocharian-Aliyev meeting was held in a normal atmosphere. "Nevertheless," he added, "the foreign ministers of the two countries are commissioned to continue talks over settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and try to find common points before the next meeting of the presidents."<ref></ref> | |||
| The major disagreement between both sides at the Bucharest conference was the status of Karabakh. Azerbaijan's position was a promise to give Karabakh the "highest status of autonomy adopted in the world."<ref></ref> Armenia favored a popular vote by the inhabitants of Karabakh to decide their future, a position that was also taken by the international mediators.<ref></ref> The response to the Armenian position from Baku was that of a threat to Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.{{fact}} On ], the Armenian foreign minister said both parties agreed to allow the residents of Karabakh to vote regarding the future status of the region.<ref></ref> The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially refuted that statement.<ref></ref> According to Azeri opposition leader ], however, Azerbaijan did indeed agree to the referendum. Still, nothing official has confirmed this yet.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===International status=== | |||
| The sovereign status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not recognized by any state, including Armenia. Three ] Resolutions (853, 874, and 884) and ] resolutions 49/13 and 57/298 refer to Nagorno-Karabakh as a region of Azerbaijan. According to a report prepared by British parliamentarian and rapporteur ], presented to Political Affairs Committee of the ] (PACE), "the borders of Azerbaijan were internationally recognised at the time of the country being recognised as independent state in 1991," and "the territory of Azerbaijan included the Nagorno-Karabakh region." | |||
| The latest resolution, #1416, adopted by PACE (), stated that "Considerable parts of the territory of Azerbaijan are still occupied by Armenian forces, and separatist forces are still in control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region." | |||
| The resolution further stated: "The Assembly reiterates that the occupation of foreign territory by a member state constitutes a grave violation of that state’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe and reaffirms the right of displaced persons from the area of conflict to return to their homes safely and with dignity." | |||
| Recalling the Resolutions 822, 853, 874, and 884 (all 1993) of the UN Security Council, PACE urged "the parties concerned to comply with them, in particular by refraining from any armed hostilities and by withdrawing military forces from any occupied territories." | |||
| The ] called on the Nagorno-Karabakh de facto authorities to refrain from staging one-sided "local self-government elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh. "These so-called 'elections' cannot be legitimate," stressed Council of Europe Committee of Ministers' Chairman and ] Foreign Minister ], Parliamentary Assembly President ] and Secretary General ]. They recalled that following the 1991–1994 armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a substantial part of the region's population was forced to flee their homes and are still living as ]s in those countries or as refugees abroad. This position was reiterated by Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe on ] ] with regard to the next elections, staged in the province. | |||
| The ] declared that "The European Union confirms its support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and recalls that it does not recognise the independence of Nagorno Karabakh. The European Union cannot consider legitimate the 'presidential elections' that were scheduled to take place on 11 August 2002 in Nagorno Karabakh".<ref></ref> | |||
| The declaration of establishment NKR's states that "The Nagorno Karabakh Republic enjoys the authorities given to Republics by the USSR Constitution and legislation and reserves the right to decide independently the issue of its state-legal status based on political consultations and negotiations with the leadership of Union and Republics."<ref>http://www.nkr.am/eng/deklaraciya209.html, Declaration on Proclamation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic</ref> | |||
| According to an analysis by ]'s Center for International Law & Policy, as well as ], "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, 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."<ref>http://www.nesl.edu/center/pubs/nagorno.pdf The Nagorno-Karabagh Crisis: A Blueprint for Resolution, New England Center for International Law & Policy</ref> | |||
| The Background Paper on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict prepared by Directorate General of Political Affairs of the Council of Europe, on the other hand, states, "The Armenian side maintains that the N-K independence referendum was conducted in accordance with the USSR law on the "Procedure for Solving Issues of Secession of a Soviet Republic from the USSR" of ] ]. Article 3 of this law provided autonomous regions within the Soviet republics with the right to determine independently, by referendum, whether they wished to remain within the USSR or join the republic seceding from the USSR. It would however seem that according to this law N-K would have the choice of two options – to remain within the USSR or to join independent Azerbaijan; N-K independence does not seem possible." | |||
| The OSCE Minsk Group has allowed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (referring to it as the "leadership of Nagorny Karabakh"), as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan, to participate in the peace process as "parties to the conflict," and the Azerbaijani community of the region--as an "interested party". The Chairman of the CSCE Minsk Conference mentioned that "the terms 'party to the conflict' and 'leadership of Nagorny Karabakh' do not imply recognition of any diplomatic or political status under domestic or international law". The Azerbaijani community is led by Nizami Bakhmanov, the head of the executive power of Shusha region. | |||
| ===Human rights=== | |||
| The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has resulted in the displacement of 528,000 (this figure does not include new born children of these IDPs) Azerbaijanis from Armenian occupied territories including Nagorno Karabakh, and 220,000 Azeris, 18,000 Kurds and 3,500 Russians fled from Armenia to Azerbaijan from 1988 to 1989.<ref>De Waal, ''Black Garden'', p. 285</ref> The Azerbaijani government has estimated that 63 percent of ]s (IDPs) lived below the poverty line as compared to 49% of the total population. About 154,000 lived in the capital, Baku. According to the International Organization for Migration, 40,000 IDPs lived in camps, 60,000 in underground dugout shelters, and 20,000 in railway cars. Forty-thousand IDPs lived in EU-funded settlements and UNHCR provided housing for another 40,000. Another 5,000 IDPs lived in abandoned or rapidly deteriorating schools. Others lived in trains, on roadsides in half-constructed buildings, or in public buildings such as tourist and health facilities. Tens of thousands lived in seven tent camps where poor water supply and sanitation caused gastro-intestinal infections, tuberculosis, and malaria.{{fact}} | |||
| The Azerbaijani government has been unwilling to integrate the IDP's into the rest of the population as this could be interpreted as acceptance of the permanent loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. The government required IDPs to register their place of residence in an attempt to better target the limited and largely inadeguate national and international assistance due to the Armenian advocated and US imposed restrictions on humanitarian aid to Azerbaijan. Many IDPs were from rural areas and found it difficult to integrate into the urban labor market. Many international humanitarian agencies reduced or ceased assistance for IDPs citing increasing oil revenues of the country forgetting to condemn the Armenian imposed suffering.<ref name="wrs2005"></ref> The infant mortality among displaced Azerbaijani children is 3-4 times higher than in the rest of the population. The rate of ] was 88.2 per 1,000 births among the internally displaced people. The majority of the displaced have lived in difficult conditions for more than 13 years.<ref name="gidp"> (as a ])</ref> | |||
| 280,000 persons—virtually all ethnic Armenians who fled Azerbaijan during the 1988–1993 war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh—were living in refugee-like circumstances in Armenia. Some left the country, principally to Russia. Their children born in Armenia acquire citizenship automatically. Their numbers are thus subject to constant decline due to departure, and de-registration required for naturalization. Of these, about 250,000 fled Azerbaijan-proper (areas outside Nagorno-Karabakh); approximately 30,000 came from Nagorno-Karabakh, which is in Azerbaijan but controlled by Armenians. All were registered with the government as refugees at year’s end.<ref name= "wrs2001"></ref> | |||
| ===Constitutional referendum=== | |||
| On ], ] ] signed a decree<ref></ref> to carry out a referendum on draft on Nagorno-Karabakh constitution, which was held on December 10 of the same year.<ref name="RFE"></ref> According to official preliminary results from December 10, as many as 98.6 percent of voters approved the constitution.<ref name="RFE"/> The 142nd article of the document describes the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as "a sovereign, democratic legal and social state"; however, the European Union, OSCE and ] rejected the referendum.<ref></ref> The EU announced it was "aware that a 'constitutional referendum' has taken place," but reiterated that only a negotiated settlement between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians can bring a lasting solution.<ref></ref> In a statement, the OSCE chairman in office ] called the vote potentially harmful to the ongoing conflict settlement process, which, he said, has shown "visible progress" and is at a "promising juncture".<ref name="RFE"/> The outcome was also criticised by Turkey.<ref></ref> | |||
| == Photo Gallery == | |||
| <center><gallery> | |||
| Image:We Are Our Mountains.jpg|<center>''We Are Our Mountains'', in ] | |||
| Image:Vank_Village_Martakert.jpg|<center>The village of Vank as seen from the ]</center> | |||
| Image:Shushi Rock NKR.jpg|<center>The citadel of ] (on right) | |||
| </gallery></center> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ===Footnotes=== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ===General=== | |||
| # {{loc}} — | |||
| == External links == | |||
| {{sisterlinks|Nagorno-Karabakh}} | |||
| === Non partisan sources === | |||
| * | |||
| * http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/3658938.stm Regions and territories: Nagorno-Karabakh] from the ] | |||
| * also key texts & agreements and chronology (in English & Russian) | |||
| * Report by rapporteur David Atkinson presented to Political Affairs Committee of the ] | |||
| * by ], Publication of the ] (USIP) | |||
| * , by Patricia Carley, Publication of the ] (USIP) | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * from the ] | |||
| === From an Armenian perspective === | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| === From an Azerbaijani perspective === | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| {{Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict}} | |||
| {{Dependent, autonomous, and other territories of Europe}} | |||
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Revision as of 10:32, 25 January 2007
The current conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988, when the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh unilaterally declared their independence from Azerbaijan, with the intent of uniting with the Republic of Armenia. At that time, ethnic Armenians comprised about 65 percent of Nagorno-Karabakh. This push by the ethnic Karabakh Armenians to secede from Azerbaijan was instigated by Armenia, which has had territorial claims against Azerbaijan as part of its desire to create a Greater Armenia by expanding its territory. Armenian soldiers and arms are being used to carry out this policy.
The conflict was escalated by Russia's political and military support of Armenia. Russia is using the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as part of its long-time policy of "divide and conquer." Since 1993, Armenia has received $1 billion in arms shipments from Russia. These arms, including the most modern Russian tanks, armored personnel carriers, SCUD missiles and tons of ammunition, were shipped through Armenia to the site of the conflict inside Azerbaijan.
A series of Armenian offensives, beginning in 1992 and backed by Russian arms, resulted in the Armenian occupation of almost 20 percent of Azerbaijan territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other districts. As a result, Azerbaijan is left with approximately 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were forced to flee for their lives.
A cease-fire was negotiated in May 1994, but all attempts to negotiate a settlement have failed. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began its mediation efforts in 1992, and in 1995 at a summit meeting in Lisbon, 53 out of 54 member states of the OSCE endorsed a statement of three principles upon which the conflict should be settled. Armenia was the only country that refused to support the statement because it supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia .
In 1996, the OSCE appointed three co-chairs to its Minsk Conference-the United States, Russia and France. The Minsk Conference is charged with the responsibility of negotiating peace in this region. These co-chairs then developed a two-staged peace proposal: (1) withdrawal of Armenian forces from all regions of Azerbaijan except Nagorno-Karabakh; and (2) negotiations on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan. This proposal was accepted by Azerbaijan and by Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian. However, it was opposed by hard-line elements within Armenia and ethnic Armenians within Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result, President Ter-Petrossian was forced from office, replaced by hard-line elements.
Now the peace process is up in the air again. Azerbaijan remains committed to a peaceful solution based on the following Lisbon principles: (1) recognition of territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia; (2) Azerbaijan will grant the highest level of self-rule to Nagorno-Karabakh; and (3) security guarantees will be provided to the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave inside Azerbaijan, and has no border with Armenia. Before the conflict started, Armenia deported some 200,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia. Then it occupied the whole territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions and, in effect, has annexed Nagorno-Karabakh and this territory to Armenia. In the process all Azerbaijanis previously living in these regions which belong to Azerbaijan were forced to flee for their lives.
It might be noted that even the Nazis allowed inhabitants of their occupied territories to stay and live there. But Armenians have rid Azerbaijanis from the entire occupied territories. Khojaly, a small Azerbaijani town in Nagorno-Karabakh, is a sad example of genocide, when overnight the whole town was destroyed, more than 700 innocent civilians, including many women and children, were murdered and others were forcefully deported. The President of Azerbaijan has subsequently declared March 31 as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis in commemoration of that occasion and other earlier tragic massacres.
Azerbaijan has accepted and supported all peace initiatives of the OSCE. Now, Armenia must decide whether it wishes to further isolate itself from the rest of the world community or join in seeking a just and honorable compromise to this 10-year old conflict.