Bishkek Protocol
Encyclopedia
Bishkek Protocol is a provisional ceasefire
agreement, signed by representatives of Republic of Armenia (Parliament Speaker Babken Ararktsian), unrecognized
Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (chairman of NKR parliament Karen Baburian), Republic of Azerbaijan (First Deputy Parliament Speaker Afiyaddin Jalilov) and Russia
's representative to the CSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov on May 5, 1994 in Bishkek
, the capital of Kyrgyzstan
. The protocol, still in effect, terminated the Nagorno-Karabakh War
and froze the issue. The only severe breach since then became 2008 Mardakert skirmishes
.
In addition to the ceasefire agreement itself, the protocol contains the following provisions:
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
agreement, signed by representatives of Republic of Armenia (Parliament Speaker Babken Ararktsian), unrecognized
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (chairman of NKR parliament Karen Baburian), Republic of Azerbaijan (First Deputy Parliament Speaker Afiyaddin Jalilov) and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's representative to the CSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov on May 5, 1994 in Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, the capital of Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
. The protocol, still in effect, terminated the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
and froze the issue. The only severe breach since then became 2008 Mardakert skirmishes
2008 Mardakert skirmishes
The 2008 Mardakert skirmishes began on March 4 after the 2008 Armenian election protests. It involved the heaviest fighting between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh since the 1994 ceasefire after the Nagorno-Karabakh War.Armenian sources accused...
.
In addition to the ceasefire agreement itself, the protocol contains the following provisions:
- the granting of a wide-ranging autonomyAutonomyAutonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
to Nagorno-KarabakhNagorno-KarabakhNagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
, while maintaining the sovereigntySovereigntySovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
of Azerbaijan; - measures that guarantee the security of Nagorno-Karabakh (meaning peacekeepingPeacekeepingPeacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
operations by the third-party parties, but there are no agreements about participants; RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, especially, wanted to play the main role in the peacekeeping, but this is considered the worst scenario for Azerbaijan) - the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied territories in Azerbaijan;
- special status for the Lachin CorridorLachin corridorThe Lachin corridor is a mountain pass within de-jure borders of Azerbaijan, it is the shortest route which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, possibly coupled with similar measures between the mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan; - arrangements between Azerbaijan and Armenia securing the return of the majority of refugees on both sides to their homes.