Australia’s New South Wales Parliament adopted a resolution recognising the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and the right to self-determination of its Armenian people, Armenian National Committee of Australia reported.
The motion, which was unanimously adopted on Thursday 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”.
“Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the forefront of ANC Australia’s recent activities. Today’s result is a victory for all those who continue to remain oppressed under brutal regimes,” ANC Australia Executive Director Vache Kahramanian remarked.
“The NSW Parliament has always been, and continues to be, a beacon of hope in upholding human rights. We thank all members of the Legislative Council for taking a stance to uphold the basic human right to self-determination. In particular we thank Marie Ficarra for her courageous stance.”