The Lisbon principles were accepted at the OSCE Summit that was held on December 2–3, 1996, in Lisbon. During the Summit, a statement issued by the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group highlighted three principles for settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia: namely, the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan; granting of a high degree of self-government to Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan; and guaranteed security for Nagorno-Karabakh and its whole population.[1]

Armenia objected to the Lisbon Principles and found them unacceptable. “Though a blow to the Armenians, Lisbon represented the belated assertion by OSCE of the fundamental conditions to which resolution of ethno territorial disputes would be required to adhere.”[2] When vetoing the Lisbon principles, Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan claimed that it predetermined the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was something that should be done later at the Minsk Conference.[3] The Armenian delegation to the Lisbon Summit also expressed concern about accepting the Lisbon principles. In this regard, the delegation stated that “a solution of the problem can be found on the basis of international law and the principles laid down in the Helsinki Final Act, above all on the basis of the principle of self-determination.”[4]

Armenia also accused the OSCE Minsk Group of partiality and advocating in favor of Azerbaijan.[5] However, despite all Armenian efforts to block the Lisbon principles, the principles were confirmed by all 53 OSCE participating states, including the U.S., as a basis for negotiating the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

[1] “Statement of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,” Annex 1 to the Declaration of the OSCE Lisbon Summit, December 3, 1996, p. 15.

[2] Laitin and Suny, “Armenia and Azerbaijan,” p. 164.

[3] Nishimura, Megumi, “National Self-determination and the International Community in the Transcaucasus: Inconsistency and Domestic Response,” Central Asia and the Caucasus, Vol. 5, No. 11, 2001.

[4] “Statement of the Delegation of Armenia,” Annex 2 to the Declaration of the OSCE Lisbon Summit, December 3, 1996, p. 16.

[5] Walker, Christopher J., Armenia and Karabakh: The Struggle for Unity (Minority Rights Publications, 1991), p. 71.