Artsakh’s National Assembly has issued a statement, noting that the territories of the Artsakh Republic currently under Azerbaijan control are considered occupied by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

It stressed that the aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the Artsakh Republic and the occupation of the mentioned territories cannot have any legal impact on the status of the Artsakh Republic and the process of determining the borders during future negotiations.

The statement reads:

The National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic reaffirms that:

• 1 On September 2, 1991 the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic was declared on the basis of USSR legislation and norms of international law.

• The Republic of Artsakh repulsed the aggression unleashed by the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1992-1994, accompanied by numerous violations of international humanitarian law.

• The Artsakh Republic, as a party to the conflict, participated in various negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group between 1992 and 2020 to ensure regional stability and peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

• On September 27, 2020, the Republic of Azerbaijan, in violation of its commitment before the OSCE Minsk Group and the co-chairing countries to renounce the use of force, launched a large-scale military action against Artsakh, which saw thousands of our compatriots killed, both among the civilian population and the Defense Army, and deliberately destroyed the civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage of the Artsakh Republic.

Based on the above-mentioned realities, the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic announces that:

1. The territories of the Artsakh Republic that have passed under the control of Azerbaijan so far are considered occupied by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

2. The aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the Artsakh Republic and the occupation of the mentioned territories cannot have any legal impact on the status of the Artsakh Republic and the process of determining the borders during future negotiations. 

https://en.armradio.am/2021/03/01/artsakhs-territories-currently-under-azerbaijani-control-are-considered-occupied-parliament/