Artsakh’s Self-Determination Trumps Baku’s Territorial Integrity Claims

Residents of Stepanakert mark the 25th anniversary of Artsakh’s independence

YEREVAN””The self-determination of the people of Artsakh trumps Azerbaijan’s claim of territorial integrity, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said during a January 23 interview with Panorama news agency.

Kocharyan says self-determination of the people of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic is the foremost issue at the hand.

His comments come after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated on Monday that Azerbaijan “will never allow the creation of the second fictitious Armenian state on the territory of Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh will never be granted independence.”