14 January 1998

It is known that the people who created the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic agreed to give a part of the Azerbaijani lands, including Iravan to Armenia. The telegram of the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, Fatali Khan Khoyski from Tbilisi to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hasan Hajinsky is in our archives…

It is known that in December 1920, when the Soviet power was established in Armenia, on behalf of the Azerbaijani government Zangezur and Nakhchivan districts were declared to be transferred to Armenia… Unfortunately, on certain occasions some parts of Nakhchivan was transferred under the control of Armenians, but Nakhchivan had mostly preserved its territorial integrity. If the Azerbaijani lands separating Nakhchivan from Azerbaijan – Zangezur district – had not been transferred to Armenia, perhaps the autonomy of Nakhchivan would not have been necessary at all, Azerbaijan would be a country with a single territory. However, the transfer of Azerbaijani lands- Zangezur region, including its Mehri and Gafan districts- to Armenia in 1920, is a very serious case in the history of Azerbaijan.