Richard Kirakossyan: The legal basis of Nagorno Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan is stronger than Kosovo’s from Serbia

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS: “The more the Kosovo is a precedent for Karabakh, the same the Karabakh case is a precedent for Kosovo and even more,” director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies Richard Kirakossyan told Armenpress. According to him, there are two essential circumstances – the first is that from the point of view of international right the legal basis of secession of the Nagorno Karabakh from Azerbaijan is stronger than the Kosovo one and the second one – the Karabakh movement started much more earlier than the Kosovo one, that is to say the declaration of independence of Karabakh and its secession from Azerbaijan was earlier than the Kosovo independence.

“In respect of real policy it means that Azerbaijan’s arguments, irrespective of its wish, after this ruling become more weak,” Kirakossyan said. Though, the political analyst said the words of the text of the ruling of the International Court of Justice have been selected quite carefully. The court recognizes that Kosovo parted from Serbia according to the international law. Nevertheless, this may be useful for the Nagorno Karabakh and weaken the arguments of Azerbaijan. “Theoretically it may be considered general precedent,” Richard Kirakossyan said.