Armenia to Upgrade Ties With Karabakh

YEREVAN — The National Assembly began debating on Tuesday a government bill that would allow Armenia’s government to sign agreements with unrecognized republics and Nagorno-Karabakh in particular.
Armenia’s existing law on international treaties allows Yerevan to forge formal links only with those entities that are internationally recognized as independent states.
Presenting a corresponding draft amendment to the law, Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian acknowledged that its main target is the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). “In this case, we are stating that … the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic can be a party to international treaties,” he said.
The proposed change was rejected by representatives of Zharangutyun (Heritage), opposition party which is represented in the Armenian parliament. “The draft is not ready for being discussed at the National Assembly,” one of them, Larisa Alaverdian, told fellow lawmakers.
Zharangutyun has been pushing for the NKR’s official recognition by Armenia as an independent state. The National Assembly is expected to vote this month on a relevant bill drafted by Zharangutyun.
Leaders of the parliament’s pro-government majority have made clear that they will block its passage. Hamlet Harutiunian, a deputy from the ruling Republican Party reaffirmed this on Tuesday. “At this point, [Armenian] recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh would be more beneficial for Azerbaijan than Armenia,” he said.