YEREVAN. – At Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, the Government of Armenia approved the bill on recognition of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh).

“Recognition of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is due to the results of discussions between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, [and] considering further developments, including external factors.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia made the aforesaid conclusion with respect to the draft law On Recognizing the Republic of Artsakh, and which opposition MPs Zaruhi Postanjyan and Hrant Bagratyan had submitted.

And the respective justification, which these deputies have submitted, states that Armenia was not recognizing the NKR because the negotiations within the framework of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group may set another status for the Republic of Artsakh, and first and foremost, with its consent. Azerbaijan rejects the problem’s any solution which does not coincide with the borders of the former Azerbaijan SSR and is beyond the borders of the Artsakh autonomy. The Madrid Principles, and their updated version that was introduced in 2009, are contrary to the NKR Constitution, and therefore are unacceptable.