NKR recognition process started by Australian state is inevitable: NKR official

YEREVAN, October 25. / ARKA /. David Babayan, head of the press service of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic president, welcomed today the decision of the Legislative Council of Australia’s New South Wales Parliament to recognize the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and the right to self-determination of its people, saying this is an inevitable process and this decision will step it up.

"There is no doubt that this will make Azerbaijan hysteric, but I do not think it will affect the process of recognition, which is inevitable, and it will proceed from now on at an accelerated pace, especially considering that several new states were formed recently and recognized by the international community,’ he said.

Noting that the New South Wales is the first to have recognized the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said that the international community is moving from words to deeds. He also recalled that Uruguay also indicated it could recognize Nagorno-Karabakh.

The motion of New South Wales, which was unanimously adopted on Thursday 25th October, comes after many months of advocacy from the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia). It was introduced to the Chamber by the Hon. Marie Ficarra MLC, who was been a long-standing supporter of Armenian issues. The motion acknowledges the 20th anniversary of independence for the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, it supports the right to self-determination of its people, and it ''calls on the Commonwealth Government [of Australia] to officially recognise the independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and strengthen Australia's relationship with the Nagorno Karabakh and its citizens''. -0-