MOSCOW

An unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh statelet will cease to exist by next Jan. 1, according to a decree signed on Thursday by its titular head, Samvel Shahramanyan.

The Armenian population of the Karabakh region should consider the conditions of reintegration proposed by Azerbaijan and independently decide on the possibility of staying, said the document published by portal 24news.am.

"To dissolve all state institutions and organizations under their subordination before January 1, 2024, the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) ceases to exist,” it said, giving the name of the self-styled region, which had existed in name only.

"After the entry into force of this decree, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, including those located outside the republic, should consider the conditions of reintegration presented by the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to make an independent and individual decision on the possibility of staying (returning) to Nagorno-Karabakh in the future," the decree said.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.

The so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” was proclaimed in 1991, but it was not recognized by any UN member state.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements in Karabakh from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.

Last week, in the wake of provocations by Armenian forces in Karabakh, Azerbaijan said it had launched "counter-terrorism" activities to uphold the trilateral peace pact. After 24 hours, a cease-fire was reached, with Azerbaijan widely seen as the victor.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are set to meet on Oct. 5 in the Spanish city of Granada to discuss the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries.