ISSUES REALTED TO KARABAKH PROBLEM SOLUTION DISCUSSED AT MEETING OF CHAIRMAN OF BELGIAN SENATE’S FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND T. TOROSIAN
Noyan Tapan
Aug 29 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Speaker of the RA National
Assembly Tigran Torosian on August 29 received the Chairman of the
Belgian Senate’s Foreign Relations and Defence Commission Francois
Roelants du Vivier. According to the RA National Assembly PR
Department, during the meeting, the sides discussed issues related
to Armenia’s Eurointegration and relations with its neighbors, the
solution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem and other issues. Mr. Vivier
conveyed greetings of the Belgian Senate’s Chairwoman Ms. Anne-Marie
Lizin to Tigran Torosian, noting that he will strive for the
adoption of the draft law on denial, which is related to recognition
of the Armenian Genocide and was submitted to the Senate in early
2006. F. Vivier reminded that out of 25 EU member states, Belgium is
the only one in favor of resuming negotiations with Turkey concerning
its joining the EU. The Senate sdopted a decision with a report
containing a number of preconditions for Turkey: after the issue
of Cyprus, the second one is the Armenian Genocide’s recognition,
as any country intending to join the European family must accept
European values. Mr. Vivier presented this approach in Ankara as well,
namely in the Turkish parliament and to some high-ranking officials,
and met with their objection, although he had an impression that they
are inclined to listen. F. Vivier will also go to Nagorno Karabakh as
part of his visit to Armenia. Speaking abouit the Karabakh problem,
he noted that he does not subscribe to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’
opinion that negotiations should be discontinued at the pre-election
stage. He expressed concern over the fact of doubling Azerbaijan’s
military budget, adding that not taking the propaganda aspect into
account, the international community’s attention should be drawn
to this fact. In his opinion, the problem’s solution would take
into consideration the respect for the right of self-determination
published after the Rambouillet negotiations, which is a version, in
which there are neither winners nor losers. As regards the Karabakh
problem’s solution, the RA NA Speaker expressed an opinion that the
negotiations should not be linked with the pre-election stage and
the work time should not be restricted, since a good solution to
this problem may have a positive effect on the elections, while
a bad solution is always unacceptable. T. Torosian considered it
important that since 2005, the right of self-determination has
been recorded in several international documents as a principle
for conflict resolution, and after the Rambouillet negotiations it
became clear what principles should form the solution’s basis, and a
consistent use of this principle is especially important. T. Torosian
expressed concern that the Azerbaijani mass media have intensified
their propaganda of hostility towards and war against Armenia and
the Armenians. According to him, in 1991, a referendum was held in
Nagorno Karabakh under the Soviet laws, but another referendum may be
held in case of necessity. He said that over the past 12 years after
the ceasefire, the territories adjacent to the NKR, which are under
control of the NKR army, ensure the NKR population’s security and it
is obvious that it is just unacceptable to discuss any issue related
to these territories without the issue of the NKR’s status. The sides
underlined the importance of Eurointegration of the regional countries,
which will help with settlement of the conflicts and promote their
political and economic development. Mr. Vivier said that EU member
states are showing more and more positive approach to the issue
of Armenia’s joining the EU. T. Torosian attached importance to
consistency of steps taken and to be taken in this direction, which
will give guarantees of success.