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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 24th, 2004
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel.: +32 (0)2 732 70 27

AZERBAIJAN ATTEMPTS TO PUT AN END TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS AT THE
UN

Brussels, Belgium — Azerbaijan and Turkey introduced a resolution this week
asking the United Nations General Assembly to condemn the so-called Armenian
colony created in the territories under Armenian control. Armenia has
invited the Chairmen of the Minsk Group to conduct an inquiry in the field,
both in the regions under Armenian control and the ones under Azerbaijani
control, in order to verify the Azeri allegations.

The three Co-Chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group – France, USA and Russia – tasked to mediate the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by OSCE, tried without success to date to persuade
the Azerbaijani President to withdraw the resolution.

During former votes, Turkey used its status as President of the Islamic
Conference to bear strong pressure on member countries in order to ensure a
favorable vote to the resolution. Many countries have abstained from the
votes to date, and General Assembly debate on the resolution is expected
soon.

The European Armenian Federation notes that France joined the Presidency of
the Minsk Group in 1997 to establish peace, but also with the intention of
representing Europe, which did not have great influence in the region until
that time. “It balanced the Russian and American interests in the region,”
explained Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian Federation.

Over the past several years, Azerbaijan has rejected a number of proposals
put forward by the OSCE Minsk group including the “Common State” option in
1998. Former President Heider Aliyev walked away from commitments made in
Paris and the Key West summits during talks with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian.

The European Armenian Federation notes that since assuming power, the
current Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliev, has continuously discredited the
OSCE process, threatening to resolve the Karabagh issue militarily.

“The UN resolution submitted by Azerbaijan and Turkey, coupled with another
current initiative being taken up at the Council of Europe, are both deadly
blows to the negociation process initiated by the Minsk Group” declared
Tchoboian.

The European Armenian Federation remains concerned that the disintegration
of the Minsk peace process will exclude Europe of any active role in the
South Caucasus, at a time when the European Union has just included this
region in its new neighborhood policy. It affirms that the end of the
process could introduce a new period of instability in the region.

In its recent call to the Heads of State and Governments of 25 countries of
the European Union, the Convention of European Armenians, which met in the
European Parliament on October 18th and 19th, denounced the disturbing role
that Turkey played in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

Today the European Armenian Federation calls upon the European Union
Presidency and all countries members of the European Union to block this UN
resolution in the name of peace and stability in this sensitive region.

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