STRASBOURG. - Thirty-two PACE delegates adopted a joint declaration on Nagorno-Karabakh recognizing the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and calling to close cooperation with legally elected authorities of the Republic. Armenian News-NEWS.am posts the full text:

“20 years ago, through the adoption of legal decisions on independence based on Soviet and International Laws, new states were created in our region. The right to self-determination and decolonization from the Soviet Union was exercised not only by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, but by Mountainous Karabagh as well.

These four political entities declared independence approximately at the same time. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have been members of the Council of Europe for 10 years now, while Artsakh is not a member of this organization. Despite these facts and the difficult situation it finds itself in, Artsakh has nonetheless adopted and is consistently following a political path of state-building in conformity with the spirit, the mission and the values of the Council of Europe.

Highly appreciating the results and the dynamics of democracy-building adopted as a development model by Artsakh and realizing the importance of the participation of the official delegates of Artsakh to the negotiations taking place within the context of the OSCE Minsk Group, we congratulate the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh on its 20th anniversary and call for close cooperation with its duly-elected authorities.

Signed:

POSTANJYAN Zaruhi, Armenia, EPP/CD

BACQUELAINE Daniel, Belgium, ALDE

BADRÉ Denis, France, ALDE

BAGHDASARYAN Gagik, Armenia, ALDE

BARCIA DUEDRA Gerard, Andorra, SOC

BÉTEILLE Laurent, France, EPP/CD

BLONDIN Maryvonne, France, SOC

BLUM Roland, France, EPP/CD

BOCCHINO Italo, Italy, NR

COLOMBIER Georges, France, EPP/CD

DONABAUER Karl, Austria, EPP/CD

FALZON Joseph, Malta, EPP/CD

FOURNIER Bernard, France, EPP/CD

FRANKEN Hans, Netherlands, EPP/CD

HARUTYUNYAN Davit, Armenia, EDG

HAUPERT Norbert, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

MAISSEN Theo, Switzerland, EPP/CD

MARIN Christine, France, EPP/CD

MARLAND-MILITELLO Muriel, France, EPP/CD

MATEU PI Meritxell, Andorra, ALDE

MAYER Edgar, Austria, EPP/CD

MEALE Alan, United Kingdom, SOC

MELIKYAN Armen, Armenia, ALDE

NAGHDALYAN Hermine, Armenia, ALDE

PRESECNIK Jakob, Slovenia, EPP/CD

PUCHE RODRÍGUEZ-ACOSTA Gabino, Spain, EPP/CD

ROCHEBLOINE François, France, EPP/CD

ROUQUET René, France, SOC

RUSTAMYAN Armen, Armenia, SOC

SAÏDI Fatiha, Belgium, SOC

TODOROVIC Dragan, Serbia, NR

ZOHRABYAN Naira, Armenia, ALDE