The leader of Armenian separatists, who were ousted from the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan this year, on Friday said his previous decree ordering the dissolution of separatist institutions was not valid.

The statement appeared to undo a historic move by the separatists to dissolve the disputed territory that was at the center of two costly wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan — in 2020 and in the 1990s.

Azerbaijan sent troops to Karabakh on 19 September and after just one day of fighting the Armenian separatist forces that had controlled the disputed region for three decades surrendered and agreed to reintegrate with Baku.

On 26 September, separatist president Samvel Shahramanyan issued a decree ordering the dissolution of the separatist institutions by 1 January 2024.

The breakaway republic "will cease to exist," by the year's end, the decree said.

But in a surprise move on Friday, Shahramanyan rolled back on the announcement in comments given in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

"There is no document… of the Republic of Artsakh (Karabakh) stipulating the dissolution of government institutions."

His office told Agence France-Presse separately that the 26 September decree was "empty paper," adding: "No document can lead to the dissolution of the republic, which was established by people's will."

Both Yerevan and Baku are unlikely to support the continued functioning of separatist institutions as they are close to signing a peace agreement based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity.

Almost the entire ethnic-Armenian population — more than 100,000 people — fled Karabakh for Armenia, following Baku's takeover.

WITH AFP