Separatist parliament in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region elects new president
Lawmakers in a breakaway Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan have elected a new separatist president in a move that was strongly condemned by the Azerbaijani authorities YEREVAN, Armenia -- Lawmakers in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan, voted to elect a new separatist president on Saturday in a move that was strongly condemned by the Azerbaijani authorities. Samvel Shakhramanyan's election as the new president of Nagorno-Karabakh follows the resignation of Arayik Harutyunyan, who stepped down on Sept. 1 as president of the region — which the Armenians call Artsakh. It comes amid soaring tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry denounced the vote as a “gross violation” of the country's constitution and a “serious blow to the efforts of normalization in the region.” The ministry emphasized that “the only way to achieve peace and stability in the region is the unconditional and complete withdrawal of ...