Zerkalo, Azerbaijan
February 22, 2008
Azerbaijan urges Europe to react to Armenia’s conduct of polls in
Karabakh
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in a diplomatic note to major
European organizations has called to react to Armenia’s conduct of
the presidential polls in its breakaway region of Nagornyy Karabakh,
Zerkalo newspaper has said. It quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov as blaming Armenia for both exploiting the occupied lands
economically and using ethnic Armenian citizens of Azerbaijan for
political ends. The paper also urged the government to react to the
scheduled hearings in the Russian State Duma on conflicts in the CIS
and inviting the Karabakh separatist leadership to Moscow over the
issue. The following is the text of Rauf Mirqadirov’s report in
independent Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 22 February headlined
"Azerbaijan has sent a note to the OSCE, the European Union and the
Council of Europe" and subheaded "But one should not also forget
about Russia"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
Diplomatic note to major international bodies
Armenia should provide an explanation about organizing polling
stations and holding the voting in Nagornyy Karabakh for the Armenian
presidential election [on 19 February], [Azerbaijani] Deputy Foreign
Minister Araz Azimov has said commenting on the diplomatic note of
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to the OSCE, the Council of Europe
and the European Parliament, Day.az news agency has reported.
A. Azimov said that Armenia had been keeping part of the Azerbaijani
territory under control and commits illegal actions proceeding from
the fact of occupation. Those actions are connected with economic,
cultural, ecological as well as political spheres, he added.
"As you know, the economic exploitation of the lands, connected with
illegal mining of gold as well as other resources on those
territories, is under way. Cultural and religious monuments are
demolished. The illegal activities in the political sphere are
connected with the fact that Armenia uses ethnic Armenians citizens
of Azerbaijan in Nagornyy Karabakh – in the political sphere.
By establishing separatists structures on the occupied territories,
delivering weapons and setting up armed groups there, Armenia
subsequently has established military and political control and
occupied the territory which means political exploitation," he said.
At the same time, the deputy foreign minister said that this is not
the first time that Armenia carries out relevant activities on the
occupied Azerbaijani lands during the elections [in Armenia] where
ballot boxes are sent and the so-called "elections" are held there.
"In the past, reporters of the OSCE missions paid attention to
similar facts. This time, we decided to draw attention of the
international community to this fact and sent a note to international
organizations. Our appeal to the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the
European Parliament is based on reliable sources and reports. This
fact is a proof of occupation of the Azerbaijani territories by
Armenia, and we request relative international structures to take
notice of this, incorporate this in their reports and take relevant
measures," recapped A. Azimov.
Incomplete reaction
On the one hand, we are glad that our Foreign Ministry somehow reacts
to illegalities of Armenia on the Azerbaijani territories. But on the
other hand, we have to underline that this is a halved reaction.
First, the Foreign Ministry statement speaks only about the
occupation of part of the Azerbaijani territories by Armenia.
However, the whole problem boils down to the fact that this is not
quite true, to be more specific, it is not the whole truth.
>From the legal point of view, Armenia has only occupied part of
Azerbaijani territories beyond Nagornyy Karabakh to which it
officially has no any claims. And Nagornyy Karabakh has been
officially annexed by Armenia since this state declared its
independence.
Russia inflaming separatists regions
For that it is enough to scan the Declaration of Independence of
Armenia signed by the first president of the country, Levon
Ter-Petrosyan. It should be recalled once again that the preamble of
the declaration of independence states clearly that the Republic of
Armenia considers Nagornyy Karabakh own territory.
Second, during many years residents of Nagornyy Karabakh, including
those, allegedly accused by us of grave crimes and put on the
international wanted list through Interpol, travel across the world
with the Armenian passports. And again our Foreign Ministry in no way
reacts to this fact…[ellipsis as published]
Third, it is high time for our Foreign Ministry to send a relative
note to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The matter is that a delegation
>From the "NKR" [unrecognized Nagornyy Karabakh republic] will be
invited to the State Duma’s March hearings on the settlement of the
conflicts in the CIS, Konstantin Zatulin, political expert and deputy
chairman of the State Duma committee for the affairs of the CIS and
relations with compatriots, has said quoted by Novosti-Armeniya.
The hearings into the issue of settlement of conflicts on the
territory of the CIS have been scheduled for March 2008 at the
Russian State Duma. "The leadership of the `NKR’ will be invited to
the hearings to put forward its position on the matter in question,"
Zatulin said.
The parliamentarian believes that for the time being Russia and
Armenia are facing a delicate issue over Kosovo and the settlement of
this conflict also concerns the "NKR" directly. The political expert
believes that Armenia and Russia have to have conduct rounds of
consultations with regard to the Kosovo issue. Two moments should be
taken heed of Mr Zatulin’s statements.
First, the State Duma is a state body of the Russian Federation and
participation of representatives of the "NKR" in any hearings,
arranged by it without preliminary agreement of this issue with
official Baku, is simply unacceptable.
Second, Mr Zatulin speaks openly on the need of coordinating actions
between Russia and Armenia on such a "delicate issue" like Kosovo
which is "directly" connected with the settlement of the conflict
around the "NKR".
In essence, the deputy chairman of the State Duma committee hints
that depending on definite development of the events, Russia would
not mind using the Kosovo precedent to put pressure on Azerbaijan,
naturally by dint of Armenia and Armenians understand this well. At
the same time, they would not mind using this factor as well as
interest in realization of own plans.
Separatist minister indirectly hints Kosovo to set a precedent
"Recognition of Kosovo’s independence by international community and
individual countries will be another factor strengthening Karabakh’s
position in the process of settlement of the conflict with
Azerbaijan," the so-called foreign minister of the "NKR", Georgiy
Petrosyan, said in a comment on the fact of declaration of
independence of Kosovo, as reported by Regnum.
"We are not supporters of drawing direct parallels between conflicts.
Though similarity of several parameters, the conflicts have
substantial differences, regarding, in particular, origins and causes
of the confrontation, format and dynamics of the conflict, the mood
of the public, mechanisms of keeping peace and maintaining security,"
Petrosyan said.
At the same time, he noted that "approaches and solutions proving
themselves while settlement of a problem can be applied in the
resolution of another one". "Rejecting this statement would be
equivalent to denying the nature of a precedent and its role in
formation of the contemporary international relations. Anyway, we
shall not look back at Kosovo or link all the hopes with the
settlement of the Kosovo problem," said G. Petrosyan.
Replying to a question about Russia’s position in the issue of the
Kosovo precedent, the so-called minister of foreign affairs of the
"NKR" said: "As one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia, to all
appearances, tries to avoid statements which might cast doubt on its
impartiality as a mediator."