MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
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PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
Government House # 2, Republic Square
Yerevan 0010, Republic of Armenia
Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: press@mfa.am
PRESS RELEASE
08-09-2006
UN Resolution on Fires on Territories Around Nagorno Karabagh Adopted
On September 7, a UN resolution initiated by Azerbaijan, with text agreed to
by Armenia, was adopted during the 60th session of the UN General Assembly.
Armenia negotiated over the draft resolution and come to an agreement on its
content and formulation. Hence, the document, in general, became acceptable
for the Armenian side, since it essentially gave agreement to a text that
simply reiterated support for an OSCE expert mission to study control and
extinguishing of fires in the region.
Following are the text of the resolution, the statement by Ambassador Armen
Martirosian, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the
United Nations, and the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
countries.
Sixtieth Session of the UN General Assembly
Agenda Item 40,
Azerbaijan: resolution
The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
The General Assembly,
Seriously concerned by the fires in the affected territories, which have
inflicted widespread environmental damage,
1. Stresses the necessity to urgently conduct an environmental
operation to suppress the fires in the affected territories and to overcome
their detrimental consequences;
2. Welcomes the readiness of the parties to cooperate to that end and
considers such an operation to be an important confidence-building measure;
3. Takes note of the OSCE intention to organize a mission to the
region to assess the short-term and long-term impact of the fires on the
environment as a step for preparation of the environmental operation;
4. Calls upon, in this regard, the organizations and programs of the
United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Environmental
Programme, in cooperation with the OSCE to provide all necessary assistance
and expertise, including, inter alia, the assessment of and counteraction to
the short-term and long-term impact of the environmental degradation of the
region, as well as in its rehabilitation;
5. Asks the Chairman in Office of the OSCE to provide a report to
Member States of the General Assembly by April 30, 2007
September 6, 2006
98th Plenary Meeting
Agenda item 40: The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
Statement by H.E. Mr. Armen Martirosian, Ambassador, Permanent
Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations
Mr. President,
The draft resolution at hand addresses an issue, which we thought had been
brought to a close, two weeks ago, through discussions with the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, the Minsk Group Co-chairs and the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office’s Personal Representative. A decision was taken to send a
mission of experts under the OSCE to assess the fires.
The authorities of Nagorno Karabagh had already accepted this proposal, and
Armenia was certainly ready to use its good offices to facilitate such a
mission. It was our understanding that Azerbaijan had also agreed.
Given all this, it was surprising to see a draft resolution circulating at
the UN on this same issue, especially since it called for a parallel mission
under the UN auspices.
This approach was unacceptable. We considered such a step to be an obstacle
to continuing negotiations. And, since it was clearly intended to pursue
other political ends, Armenia opposed this motion.
However, as a result of our consultations with the Minsk Group Co-chairs, we
have come to agreement on a text that simply reiterates support for the OSCE
mission. In this regard we would like to welcome the readiness of all the
parties to negotiate in the spirit of compromise under the able and very
effective mediation of the Minsk Group Co-chairs.
Nevertheless, although we support the content of the agreement, we continue
to remain opposed to the general idea of this agenda item and a UN
resolution under it. That is the reason Armenia dissociates itself from the
consensus on this resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries
Sixtieth Session of the UN General Assembly
Agenda Item 40, "The situation in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan"
The Russian Federation, France, and the United States of America, as the
Co-Chair countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe’s Minsk Group, remain committed to promoting a peaceful, negotiated
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this capacity, we take with
great seriousness concerns raised by either side to the conflict regarding
threats to the security and stability of the region, as well as any
developments that pose new obstacles to the negotiation process.
Accordingly, we have examined closely the information provided by the
Government of Azerbaijan regarding fires in the eastern part of the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. We also note the
report of the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE,
who, at the request of the Government of Azerbaijan and direction of the
Chairman-in-Office, has carried out a monitoring mission to the affected
areas. We note, in particular, that fires of both natural and manmade origin
are a regular occurrence in the region in question. The question of whether
more extensive fires this year are a cause of ecological concern requiring
international attention to their suppression is one that can only be
answered through a technical examination of the situation.
Therefore, the Co-Chairs stand ready, together with the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, to lend their immediate
assistance to the organization of an OSCE mission, with the support and
expertise of the United Nations Environmental Programme, and to report to
the UN General Assembly the results of the mission, as requested in the
present resolution, as well as to the OSCE.
We commend the spirit of goodwill demonstrated by both Armenia and
Azerbaijan in agreeing to cooperate to address the situation raised through
this resolution. We hope the agreement reached today reflects a new
readiness by both sides to engage in further measures to build confidence
that will advance the process of negotiations, and we will redouble our
efforts, through the OSCE’s Minsk Group, to promote such activities.
Mr. President, we note that over the past two years, the Co-Chairs of the
Minsk Group have worked intensively with the Foreign Ministers and
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to identify core principles of an
agreement that would lead to a just and lasting settlement. Our nations,
reinforced by the voices of the Group of Eight leading nations at their
summit in St. Petersburg in July, have called on the Presidents of both
Armenia and Azerbaijan to accept now these core principles as a basis for
resolution of the conflict, and to prepare their publics for peace, and not
war. We reiterate that call today and restate the readiness of our
governments to lend full support to the achievement and implementation of a
peace agreement.