REPRESENTATIVE OF AZERBAIJAN REJECTS ARMENIAN FM’S ACCUSATIONS

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 29 2006

On September 27, representative of Azerbaijan exercised the Right of
Reply on the last day of the general debates at the 61st session of
the United Nations General Assembly to make some things clear about
the statements made by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian at
the General Assembly.

Representative of Azerbaijan stated that Azerbaijan regrets about
the fact that Armenia’s Foreign Minister uses the UN General Assembly
rostrum to speak aggressively about things that could harm the conflict
resolution process.

According to Azerbaijani diplomat, Azerbaijani side had to reply to his
rhetoric full of accusations to reveal that Armenian side’s extremely
aggressive statements do not agree with respective resolutions and
decisions of the UN Security Council, Council of Europe, Organization
of the Islamic Conference, OSCE and other international organizations.

On Armenian Minister’s false accusations of destruction of Armenian
monuments in the Azerbaijani lands, Azerbaijani representative said
the country suggested sending Council of Europe’s fact-finding mission
to the region but received no official answer on this matter from
the Armenian Government.

Vardan Oskanian said in his address that Armenian community of
Nagorno-Karabakh allegedly exercised its right to self-determination to
break away from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani representative regarded this
statement as Armenia’s attempt to hide the ethnic cleansing committed
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by abusing international
legal principles.

The Diplomat reminded UN member countries of the fact that "Declaration
on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples"
of December 14, 1960 and Declaration on Principles of International
Law Concerning Friendly Relations And Cooperation Among States of
1970. Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by World Conference
on Human Rights clearly indicate that self-determination may not
be construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would
dismember or impair the territorial integrity of sovereign and
independent states.

In accordance with these documents, self-determination is the right
of the whole population living in the certain area. They can exercise
this right only in a peaceful way by strengthening the political
unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. Armenia
as an UN member must comply with these rules regulating interstate
relations. Ensuring the participation of both Armenian and Azerbaijani
communities in the democratic and legal process, Azerbaijan is ready
to grant the highest status of autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh within
its borders.

Summarizing his address, representative of Azerbaijan stressed that
Oskanian’s accusations highlighted the need for raising the UN’s
awareness of the situation in the occupied Azerbaijani lands. The
General Assembly must know who the aggressor and the victim of
aggression is. To this end, Azerbaijan will use all tools and
mechanisms at its disposal.