Italy to Abstain From UN Vote on Occupied Azerbaijani Lands

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

Italy opposes admission of Turkey to the European Union (EU) and the
latter may get the EU membership only in 2014, Italian Deputy Foreign
Minister Margherita Boniver said in a meeting with Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian on Tuesday.

The Italian diplomat wished Turkey to open its borders with Armenia,
which entered the EU New Neighborhood program this June, so that the
former could be admitted to the EU.

Turkey has repeatedly stated that it will not open its borders with
Armenia unless the latter withdraws its armed forces from the
occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

The New Neighborhood program rejects the territorial claims by the EU
member states against their neighbors. The Italian official seems not
to have taken this into account and intends to create artificial
obstacles for the admission of Turkey to the EU.

With regard to including the issue on the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan into the agenda of the UN General Assembly session,
Boniver said she backs settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
within the OSCE Minsk Group. The Italian diplomat stressed that her
country will abstain from voting on any decision at the UN.

Former Italian Foreign Minister Mario Rafaelli was the first chairman
of the OSCE Minsk Group in 1992-1993 and several discussions were
held with the separatist regime of the Nagorno Karabakh in Rome in
this period.

The Italian deputy foreign minister’s “warm attitude” towards Armenia
may be explained by the increasing economic and trade relations
between the two countries.

The trade turnover between Italy and Armenia made up $49 million in
2002 and $59 million in 2003.