This week Azerbaijan established an illegal checkpoint at the Lachin Corridor, effectively tightening its more than four-month-old blockade, which threatens the very existence of people of Artsakh who are facing ethnic cleansing and the further loss of their basic and fundamental rights.
Despite the dire circumstances confronting the heroic people of Artsakh since the 2020 War—and especially during the blockade—Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government are further distancing themselves from the right to self-determination of Artsakh’s population.
In a presentation last week in Armenia’s Parliament, Pashinyan said that Armenia had accepted that Artsakh is part of Azerbaijan when it agreed to the so-called Madrid Principles as a basis to advance talks for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Pashinyan’s remarks were more problematic as they came on the same day that Azerbaijan’s dictator Ilham Aliyev said Armenia must accept that “Karabakh is Azerbaijan,” or else face more military aggression and attacks.
Pashinyan’s statement seemed to ignore that the people of Artsakh had exercised their inalienable right to self-determination when they voted for independence in 1991 and later established the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic through a referendum.
Russia, whose peacekeeping forces are on the ground in Karabakh, has allowed Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh to continue, seemingly ignoring Baku’s aggressive advances not only in Artsakh but also Armenia’s sovereign territory. The 100-person European Union monitoring team was “not at the border” when Azerbaijan breached Armenia’s sovereign territory earlier this month in Syunik, advancing its positions further, while the United States government is on the one hand calling on Baku to end the blockade and on the other hand is meeting with top Azerbaijani military officials in Washington.
The geopolitical power struggle between the West and Russia, which seem to be playing out in and around Armenia and Artsakh, have further complicated the challenges facing our homeland, widening the threat to its very existence.
Thus, for Pashinyan to exploit and water down the inalienable right to self-determination that has been cemented in myriad international documents, including the United Nations Charter, is not only unacceptable, but also condemnable.
We also welcome the courage of Rep. Adam Schiff and other Members of Congress who introduced a resolution calling for the United States recognition of Artsakh’s independence and self-determination as a means to stem Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy and ensure life, liberty and justice for the people of Artsakh.
On numerous occasions we have emphasized that Artsakh’s right to self-determination and independence are the hallmarks of the very survival of Artsakh and our homeland. In these challenging times for Armenia and Artsakh, we call on Prime Minister Pashinyan and his government to not squander what the people of Artsakh have achieved through blood and self-sacrifice, and—as guarantors of their security— lead as torchbearers of these fundamental principles for the sake of our Nation’s existence.
ARF Western USA Central Committee
April 27, 2023
