Olivier Decottignies: Those who say that Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan in Prague in 2022 are lying

ArmInfo. Nagorno-Karabakh as a state has not been recognized by either the international community or Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenia recognized the NKR as part of Azerbaijan since the adoption of the Alma-Ata Declaration. This was stated by the French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies in an interview with Public Radio.

He noted that during the Soviet era, Nagorno-Karabakh was a region within Azerbaijan. "Those who say that this was recognized in Prague in 2022 are lying, because Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized as part of Azerbaijan since the adoption of the Alma-Ata Declaration (in 1991). Prague only refers to this declaration. Now the only question is how to achieve a fair, stable peace in order to eliminate the threats looming over Armenia," Decottignies said.

Regarding the return of the Artsakh people to Nagorno-Karabakh, the ambassador stated that this is not a hypothesis, but a right that was recognized by the decision of the International Court in November 2023. Azerbaijan, according to Decottignies, is obliged to implement this decision. He noted that this decision presents in detail the criteria for the safety of the return of the Artsakh people to their homes, the protection of cultural heritage, and the provision of cultural and religious rights. "And our position is very specific - to provide assistance to the forcibly displaced Artsakh people and Armenia, which has accepted them," he said, recalling that France was the first to provide humanitarian aid at the end of 2023 and during 2024. He also stressed that the right of the Artsakh people to return home must not be forgotten.

Let us recall that the exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh (Republic of Artsakh) began on September 24, 2023. This was preceded by a months-long blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan (since December 12, 2022), which caused an acute humanitarian crisis in the region, and the hostilities launched by Azerbaijan on September 19, 2023. On September 20, the NKR authorities agreed to disarm the NKR Defense Army and to negotiate. On September 28, NKR President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on the termination of the existence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) from January 1, 2024 and the dissolution of all state institutions.