Deputy foreign minister: Armenia de facto recognized Karabakh long ago

Armenia should not recognize Nagorno Karabakh’s independence at the current stage, Armenia Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian said today when presenting the government’s position during the parliamentary discussions of the draft law on the NKR’s recognition by Armenia.

“The matter concerns de jure recognition because Armenia recognized de facto the Nagorno Karabakh Republic long ago. About 100 agreements have already been signed between them on the basis of equality,” Kocharian noted.

“Armenia should not remain alone in terms of recognizing Nagorno Karabakh, which happened in the case of Cyprus. The negotiations are continuing, but no progress has been made because of Azerbaijan. Karabakh’s recognition by Armenia at the current stage will give Azerbaijan an opportunity to reject the format of the OSCE Minsk Group. The Armenian parliament should not assist Azerbaijan in this issue,” Shavarsh Kocharian said.