Southern Sudan independence referendum important trump card for Karabakh

As a result of the recent referendum in southern Sudan, one more country in the world will be granted the status of an independent state, Alexander Markarov, a political analyst and the director of the Armenian branch of the CIS Institute, has said.

At a news conference on Thursday, he spoke of the referendum's possible impact on the Nagorno Karabakh peace process. He said the referendum cannot be a key element in the conflict settlement talks as Nagorno Karabakh established its independence 19 years ago.

"Following the self-determination referendum in southern Sudan, we gain a new trump card in the Karabakh settlement process," he told Tert.am.

He believes the negotiations will continue, while Azerbaijan will be concerned, realizing that the referendum in the South Sudanese republic was nothing more than an attemt to enable that country's people to exercise their right to self-determination.

Markarov also said that the referendum establishes an interesting precedent in international law in terms of the appearance of new elements.

"Referendums are introduced into the international politics, becoming a tool for exercising the right of self-determination," he said.

Speaking of other precedents, he added that the self-determination referendums in countries like Kosovo, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, East Timor and Karabakh have much in common despite the existing differences.

As for Sudan, the expert said stability was the only positive factor the country had gained after the referendum. In the meantime he added that the authorities in Northern Sudan had managed to demonstrate a political will unlike the Azerbaijani leaders.