Nagorno-Karabakh will change its name

The unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will change its name to the Republic of Artsakh. This was stated by the Chairman of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Nagorno-Karabakh, the head of the professional commission on constitutional reforms, Ashot Ghulyan, on the air of local television.

The new name, he said, is spelled out in the new draft constitution. “There will be no longer the constitution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, but the Republic of Artsakh,” Ghulyan said. “We will return to our historical, original name,” he stressed.

Artsakh is the ancient Armenian name for Karabakh. According to the current constitution, the names of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Republic of Artsakh are identical.

• The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was proclaimed in September 1991. In December of that year, a referendum on independence was held. The results of the referendum and the proclamation of Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state were not recognized by the world community.
• In 1991-1994, an armed conflict took place between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, supported by Armenia. In May 1994, a ceasefire protocol was signed by the parties to the conflict, which is still in effect.
• Despite the ceasefire agreement, the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh is regularly escalating. at the moment The latest aggravation of the conflict occurred in April 2016, when several dozen people, both military personnel and civilians, were killed in skirmishes on the border between Azerbaijan and the unrecognized republic.