Recently, commenting on the UN resolutions regarding the Artsakh issue, Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, tried to claim that according to the UN, Artsakh was recognized as part of Azerbaijan, thereby justifying Baku’s aggression and the ethnic cleansing committed against Armenians.
Analyst Tigran Kotanjyan presented key points that completely dismantle this false thesis:
- The UN Security Council has NEVER discussed the solution to the Artsakh conflict nor provided any solution. Instead, the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions in 1993 aimed at preventing the geographical spread of military operations and the involvement of other countries such as Armenia, Turkey, Russia, and Iran.
- The main demand of these resolutions was the immediate cessation of hostilities and the resumption of negotiations, which Azerbaijan violated and failed to comply with. Additionally, Azerbaijan did not fulfill other demands arising from these resolutions, such as lifting the blockade and opening roads.
- Important note: These resolutions mention the Armenian forces of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) as a conflicting party.
- There was only one demand directed at the Republic of Armenia in these resolutions: to use its influence on the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to ensure a peaceful resolution, which Armenia fulfilled.
- The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to meet the demands of the resolutions and cease fire, which was the main demand, but Azerbaijan’s refusal to cease fire and comply made it impossible for the other parties to fully meet the demands placed upon them.
- The UN does not have the function of de jure recognition, so it has NEVER discussed or recognized the legal status of any region in the world. Therefore, the four resolutions were not documents recognizing the de jure status of Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding regions. These resolutions were adopted in 1993 (not in 1991 when the conflict began) in a specific situation with a specific purpose (see point 1). Hence, any references to status in these resolutions cannot be considered de jure recognition of the territory by the UN.
- The right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh has been recognized by the OSCE Minsk Group, the European Union, and many other countries. The final determination and de jure recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status must result from this self-determination process.
- Azerbaijan’s failure to implement the four resolutions adopted in 1993 led to their eventual loss of relevance due to the disappearance of the threats they aimed to prevent. In 1994, a tripartite indefinite ceasefire agreement was signed under different circumstances and processes.
- Upon the collapse of the USSR, Azerbaijan had no right to include this territory within its borders against the will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
10. According to international norms and the Constitution and laws of the USSR, during the collapse of the Soviet Union, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh had every right to self-determination through free expression of will, which they exercised. Therefore, Nagorno-Karabakh has NEVER been part of independent Azerbaijan. This means that Nagorno-Karabakh has no connection to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
