ARMENIAN FM: OFFERING AUTONOMY TO A PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES BEEN IN CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES ON THEIR OWN HISTORIC LANDS IS AT THE VERY LEAST, SELF-DECEPTION

Yerevan, June 21. ArmInfo. "Offering autonomy to a people who have
for nearly two decades been in control of their lives on their own
historic lands is at the very least, self-deception," said Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian in his speech at the opening of the first
session of the newly-formed UN Human Rights Council. The RA Foreign
Ministry press-service reports.

"Armenia has and continues to promote stronger international
mechanisms to prevent and eradicate the crime of genocide, and all of
its precursors including efforts, too often successful, at not just
cleansing a region of its indigenous people, but also erasing their
memory. Armenians have survived and gone on to live through each
of these attempts. Even today, in the 21st century, we have watched
helplessly as the spiritual and cultural markers of our people are
decimated," the minister said.

He went on to refer to the destruction of the Jugha Cemetery in
Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan. "This violation of the memory and spirit of
centuries of Armenian existence on lands which are today Azerbaijan’s
is cynical and dangerous. These huge, exquisite, unique stone crosses
which were both sculpture and tombstone are now gone – 2,000 of
these medieval markers were destroyed just a few months ago. The
gravemarkers are gone, and Armenian and international fears that
Azerbaijan’s authorities might in fact not be serious about peace
have been reinforced. After all, their organized, violent, armed
response to peaceful calls for self- determination two decades ago,
was the first attempt at ethnic cleansing in the soviet space and
ignited the conflict which remains unsettled today. This most recent
manifestation of organized violence, in a place where no Armenians
live today, and far from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict area, tells
us that neither Azerbaijan’s methods nor its intent has changed. Such
unambivalent, callous demolition of culture and history also destroys
trust and peace."

In speaking about the present state of negotiations with Azerbaijan
on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Armenian
Foreign Minister said, "If Azerbaijan’s one step forward, one step
back approach in the negotiations was simply alarming, their recent,
desperate offers of autonomy are concrete examples of a retreat from
the letter and spirit of these talks, and clearly not in sync with
international trends.

We hope the negotiations will develop in a way which will give the
parties a real hope for durable peace, the minister said in conclusion.