Epress.am News from Armenia
The self-proclaimed Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the disputed Republic of Nagorno Karabakh welcomes Great Britain’s readiness to hold a referendum on the future status of Scotland. London’s position proves once again that respect for human rights and nations’ self-determination is the priority for democratic states, reads a press release issued by the ministry.
“Freedom and respect for these rights are, actually, the highest values in the modern world. We are convinced that any attempts to hamper the realization of fundamental human rights must be considered regardless of the political conjuncture and subjected to resolute and strict assessment by the international community.
“We can only hope that the position of Great Britain and other democratic states will positively impact Azerbaijan in accepting these realities and respecting human rights,” reads the statement.
Recall, British authorities recently said “The future of Scotland’s place within the United Kingdom is for people in Scotland to vote on.”
Secretary of State for Scotland and Liberal Democrats MP Michael Moore said he is firmly convinced that the Scottish Parliament has full authority to decide on holding a referendum and to discuss the legality of this conduct doesn’t make sense. The question of whether or not Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom is more important than the question of whether or not to discuss it, he said.
Note, the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan after a bloody war in the 1990s and is populated mainly by ethnic Armenians. Today it exists as a de-facto independent state under an uneasy ceasefire, and OSCE-brokered efforts to resolve its status have so far been unsuccessful.