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• Kosovo Effect: MPs from Stepanakert and Yerevan discuss Karabakh’s possible recognition by Armenia

that's a step in the right direction, Azeris are not ready to negotiate a compromise, they want to go back to pre-1988 settings which is impossible for Karabakhtsis, it is like committing suicide after escaping death, it never happens... let's be realistic, Azeris will never agree to a free Karabakh, similar to Serbia now... which will not matter after countries realize that Azeris are not ready t...

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A Karabakh parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker Arthur Tovmasyan visited Yerevan this week. During meetings Tovmasyan expressed the opinion that the precedent of the recognition of the independence of Kosovo by the UN International Court of Justice in the Hague may also contribute to the process of the NKR’s international recognition.

It has been a longstanding position that the negotiation for peace with Azerbaijan should be a separate process from the recognition of Karabakh. However, the Hague court judgment on Kosovo has provided impetus to start the process. Apparently, the Armenian side has decided to employ parliamentary channels and lobby friendly countries to recognize the NKR.

The main question remains, however. Will Armenia recognize Nagorno-Karabakh? So far authorities in Armenia have considered a unilateral recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh inappropriate, even though the two countries (Armenia and Karabakh) have signed a number of inter-parliamentary and intergovernmental agreements. Armenia, for example, gives Karabakh interstate credits, carries out inspections of the Karabakh army and conducts negotiations on its behalf. One of the reasons why Armenia stops short of formally recognizing Karabakh is that authorities in Yerevan fear doing so may trigger ‘drastic steps’ from Azerbaijan.

Giro Manoyan, Director of the International Secretariat of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) Bureau in Yerevan, thinks that the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenua, of course, will facilitate the recognition of it by other countries.
“That does not mean that Armenia must do it right now, nor does it mean that Armenia should not take any steps in this direction,” said Manoyan.

He also pointed out that if talks on the Karabakh settlement reach an impasse, the first step from Armenia must be NKR’s recognition, and if it comes to Azerbaijani aggression, then an issue about reunification [of Armenia and Karabakh] should be raised.

Armenia may begin the process of NKR recognition if the OSCE Minsk Group has exhausted all its resources, said Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Samvel Nikoyan. According to Nikoyan, politically, the recognition of the NKR’s independence by Armenia today is inexpedient.

All reasons to start negotiations with Pristina regarding Kosovo’s recognition by Yerevan emerged after the decision of the International Court of Justice. According to the chairman of the Public Council on Foreign Policy and Security of Karabakh Masis Mayilyan, at this stage Kosovo and its allies face an urgent task of increasing the number of UN member countries that recognize the independent statehood of the former Serbian autonomy.

“Armenia should recognize the NKR’s independence, but after completing relevant preparatory work abroad. The problem is that we do not see the need for diplomatic activity in this direction, and the international recognition of Karabakh has not yet become a priority for lobbying structures in the Diaspora,” says Mayilyan.