Armenia Calls Debate on Recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh Statehood

Armenian government will debate on the bill recognising the statehood of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, according to the national cabinet.

YEREVAN (Sputnik) — Armenian ministers will debate a bill recognizing the independence of Azerbaijan’s breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh area this Thursday, the national cabinet said in a statement Tuesday.

The Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan has been at the heart of a territorial dispute between the two neighbors since late 1980s.

"The bill will be passed after consultations between Armenia and Karabakh that will look at further developments and external factors," the government’s explanatory note reads.

If the cabinet approves it, the legislation on the statehood of the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will go before the Armenian parliament.