RUSSIAN MEDIATOR SAYS UN DEBATE ON KARABAKH TO HURT PEACE PROCESS
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
1 Nov 04
(Presenter) Baku’s raising of the Nagornyy Karabakh problem with the
UN is seriously disturbing the OSCE Minsk Group. The Russian
co-chairman of the Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov, openly announced
today that this initiative would deal a serious blow to the peace
process.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, in turn, has said that
there is nothing extraordinary in the fact that the United Nations,
which has adopted four resolutions on Nagornyy Karabakh, will
reconsider the issue.
(Correspondent over video footage of New York, the UN building) There
was no need for Baku to include the issue of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict on the agenda of the UN General Assembly. This is the opinion
of the Russian co-chairman of the Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov. The
Russian diplomat has told “Son Xabar” that the opposition to the issue
by France, a country also co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, which was
voiced during discussions at the UN, reflected not only the view of
Paris but also the positions of Washington and Moscow.
(Merzlyakov, captioned, shown talking to microphone) This is an
untimely step. At a time when everyone is looking forward to the
restoration of the peace process, there is no need for such an
initiative. On the other hand, the UN is not the organization to
discuss the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict because the OSCE is dealing
with this problem. Therefore, the representative of France made the
statement after consultations with representatives of the USA and
Russia.
(Correspondent) Saying that the tabling of the issue at the UN will
fail to facilitate a solution to the Karabakh conflict and that it
will actually exacerbate it even more, Merzlyakov noted that the
co-chairmen did not support Azerbaijan’s suggestion and abstained from
voting on it at all. Merzlyakov explained the move by the fact that
the co-chairmen wanted to prevent a split in the UN. He added that
from a legal standpoint, this initiative of Azerbaijan was
ineffective, too.
(Merzlyakov) Resolutions of the UN General Assembly are not the same
as resolutions of the UN Security Council. Resolutions of the General
Assembly are of a consultative nature.
(Correspondent) The spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry,
Matin Mirza, does not agree with the Russian diplomat. He says that by
having adopted four resolutions on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, the
UN actually intervened in the process of settlement. Therefore, there
is nothing out of the ordinary in bringing the issue to its attention
again.
Matin Mirza added that the fact that 43 out of 143 countries that took
part in the discussion supported Azerbaijan’s suggestion and 99
abstained from voting suggests that these countries are beginning to
develop an objective opinion about the conflict.
Qalib Sukurov, “Son Xabar”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress