PanARMENIAN.Net - Changes have been approved to the constitution of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, removing references to the Moscow and Kars treaties, according to a decree signed by the president of Azerbaijan.
Under the amendments, the preamble of the constitution has been revised. In the previous version, it stated that the foundations of Nakhichevan's autonomy were established by international agreements - the Moscow Treaty of March 16, 1921, and the Kars Treaty of October 13, 1921, APA agency reports.
Those treaties reaffirmed that Nakhichevan is a territory within Azerbaijan and clarified its borders.
The document also notes that from March 16, 1921, the region was initially called the Nakhichevan Soviet Socialist Republic, from June 16, 1923 it was known as the Nakhichevan region, from February 9, 1924 it became the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and since November 17, 1990, it has been called the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
The first constitution of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1926, the second in 1937, and the third in 1978.
The current constitution of Nakhichevan is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adopted through a referendum on November 12, 1995.
In the new wording, the preamble states that the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic is an integral part of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
It also highlights the principles of the Declaration on the Restoration of the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan of August 30, 1991, the Constitutional Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan of October 18, 1991, and the Azerbaijan Constitution adopted by referendum on November 12, 1995.
Article 5 of the Kars Treaty states that "the Government of Turkey and the Governments of Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan agree that the Nakhichevan region, within the borders defined in Annex 3 of this treaty, shall form an autonomous territory under the protection of Azerbaijan."
Under the treaty, almost the entire Kars region and the Surmalu district - including Mount Ararat and surrounding areas - passed to Turkey, while the Nakhichevan region was assigned to Azerbaijan.
Source: PanArmenian.Net
