April 28th, 2015, a lecture, "Resolving Secession Issues in Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh and Crimea" was presented on campus.

MRU Law Faculty International and EU Law Institute Assoc. Prof. Laurynas Biekša and dr. Lina Laurinavičiūtė presented the lecture.

There is probably no more incendiary issue in international law than desire of various groups to secede from the mother state and self-determination. Kosovo's secession from Serbia and its recognition raised the hopes of many independence-seeking groups. It also raised concerns about the possible negative effect of such "frozen" conflicts in the post-Soviet sphere.

One of the most dangerous "frozen" conflicts is considered to be Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory belonging to Azerbaijan which is inhabited by mostly Armenians. The 2014 Crimea referendum and the annexation of this area by the Russian Federation served to remind all of the Nagorno-Karabakh area and a debate evolved around the issue of self-determination.

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh welcomed Crimea's independence as an example of implementation of self-determination.

The Russian Federation is of a similiar opinion and maintains that what was allowed in the case of Kosovo, should also be permitted for Crimea.

So, what is the right to self determination? Does it allow the right for unilateral secession from a state? And that, which was allowed in the case for Kosovo, should it apply also for Nagorno-Karabakh? Is the Kosovo issue applicable in the case of Crimea?

These and other self-determination right questions will be discussed during the lecture.