The Artsakh National Assembly issued the following statement today on the legal status of the territories of the Artsakh Republic under the control of Azerbaijan.  

The National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic reaffirms that:

• On September 2, 1991, the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic was declared on the basis of the USSR legislation and norms of international law,
• The Republic of Artsakh in 1992-1994 repulsed the aggression unleashed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, accompanied by numerous violations of international humanitarian law,
• The Artsakh Republic, as a party to the conflict, participated in various events in 1992-2020. Negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group for regional stability and the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
• The Republic of Azerbaijan, violating its obligation made before the OSCE Minsk Group and co-chair countries to refuse to use the threat of force, on September 27 2020 launched large-scale military operations against the Artsakh Republic, which killed thousands of our compatriots, both among the civilian population and the Defense Army. The civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage of the Artsakh Republic were deliberately destroyed.

Based on the above-mentioned facts, the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic declares:

1 - The territories of the Artsakh Republic that have been under the control of Azerbaijan so far are considered occupied by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

2 - Azerbaijan's aggression against the Artsakh Republic - the occupation of the mentioned territories - cannot have a legal bearing on the status of the Artsakh Republic and the process of determining its borders during future negotiations.