The Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is establishing contacts with Somaliland.
“On November 19, I had a very interesting and important debate with prominent Somaliland politician Fatima Saeed Ibrahim,” Davit Babayan, the deputy chief of staff of the Artsakh President’s Office, head of the Central Information Department of the Artsakh President’s Office, and chairman of the Artsakh Conservative Party, wrote this on his Facebook page.
“This is the first political contact between Artsakh and Somaliland. We have spoken on a variety of topics, in particular, the history, geopolitical trends, state-building, domestic and foreign policy of the two states.
“Like our state, Somaliland is at the epicenter of global and regional geopolitical interests. Here the strategic interests of the United States, China, Russia, Europe, Ethiopia, the Arab world, Israel and other countries are crossed. The Conservative Party of Artsakh attaches great importance to such debates in the context of civilized dialogue. Instead of the clash of civilizations, we should all strive for a dialogue based on principles such as mutual respect, equality and cooperation. The debate was very useful and will be of regular nature, and we will inform the public about it,” David Babayan noted.
About The Republic of Artsakh
The Republic of Artsakh, or simply Artsakh, also known by its second official name, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, is a breakaway state in the South Caucasus that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The region is currently populated mostly by Armenians and the primary spoken language is Armenian.
Artsakh controls most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and some of the surrounding area, giving it a border with Armenia to the west and Iran to the south. Its capital is Stepanakert.
The predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh was claimed by both the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia when both countries became independent in 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire, and a brief war over Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in 1920. The dispute was largely shelved after the Soviet Union established control over the area and created the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the Azerbaijan SSR in 1923. During the fall of the Soviet Union, the region re-emerged as a source of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 1991, a referendum held in the NKAO and the neighboring Shahumian region resulted in a declaration of independence based on its right of self-determination. A large-scale ethnic conflict led to the 1991–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh War, which ended with a ceasefire.
Artsakh is a presidential democracy (in the middle of transforming from a semi-presidential one, after the 2017 referendum) with a unicameral legislature. Some have said that its reliance on Armenia means that, in many ways, it functions de facto as part of Armenia.
The country is very mountainous, averaging 1,097 meters (3,599 ft) above sea level. The population is overwhelmingly Christian, most being affiliated with the Armenian Apostolic Church. Several historical monasteries are popular with tourists, mostly from the Armenian diaspora, as most travel can take place only between Armenia and Artsakh. Wikipedia
About David Babayan
David Klimi Babayan is an Artsakhian politician who has served as the Head of the Central Information Department of the Office of the President of the Artsakh Republic and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Artsakh Republic President’s Office since 28 December 2013. He founded the Artsakh Conservative Party on 26 February 2019 and was elected its leader on 17 April 2019.
