INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
decree ordering the dissolution of separatist institutions was not valid.The statement appeared to undo a historic move by the separatists
to dissolve the disputed territory that was at the center of two costly wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan sent troops to
After just one day of fighting, the Armenian separatist forces who had controlled the disputed region for three decades surrendered and
agreed to reintegrate with Baku.On Sept
26, separatist president Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree ordering the dissolution of the separatist institutions by Jan
1, 2024.The breakaway republic "will cease to exist," by the year's end, the decree said.But in a surprise move on Friday, Shahramanyan
rolled back on the announcement in comments given in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia."There is no document..
of the Republic of Artsakh [Karabakh] stipulating the dissolution of government institutions."His office told AFP separately that the Sept
26 decree was "empty paper," adding: "No document can lead to the dissolution of the republic, which was established by people's
will."Azerbaijan's victory in September marked the end of the territorial dispute, which had long been seen as unresolvable and had led to
functioning of separatist institutions as the arch-foes have said they are close to signing a peace agreement based on mutual recognition of
territorial integrity.Last week, Armenia and Azerbaijan swapped prisoners of war, a first step towards normalizing relations.The European
Union, the United States as well as regional powers Turkey and Russia have praised the move as a "breakthrough."The prisoner exchange raised
hopes for reviving face-to-face talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.The pair have
met several times for normalization talks mediated by EU chief Charles Michel.But the process has been on hold since October, when Aliyev
declined to attend negotiations with Pashinyan in Spain, accusing France of bias.French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz had been scheduled to join Michel as mediators at those talks.There has been no visible progress so far in EU efforts to organize a
fresh round of negotiations.Azerbaijan also refused to participate in talks with Armenia that were planned in the U.S
20, over what it said was Washington's "biased" position.Traditional regional power broker Russia, bogged down with its dragging Ukraine
offensive, has seen its influence wane in the Caucasus.
