MOST OF UN MEMBER COUNTRIES DO NOT ACCEPT POSITION OF AZERBAIJAN ON NKR PROBLEM

Noyan Tapan
March 17, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 14 a resolution presented
by Azerbaijan, the object of which is to provide an international
assistance to the Azerbaijani commentaries concerning the Nagorno
Karabakh problem, was discussed in the UN General Assembly. According
to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press and Information
Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairmen countries: the United States of America, France and Russia,
as well as Armenia and a number of other countries voted against that
draft resolution. About 150 countries abstained or did not take part
in the ballot and only 39 countries supported the resolution. Those
countries are members of GUAM or the Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC).

Irrespective of the circumstance that the not obliging resolution
was accepted by the General Assembly, the refusal of the position of
Azerbaijan by the majority is the real index of the dispositions of
the international community concerning the Nagorno Karabakh problem.

Estimating the results of the ballot, RA Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vardan Oskanian said: "I hope that Azerbaijan received a distinct
mark by the international community. With the leadership of the
co-Chairmen the majority of the UN member countries refused the
unilateral approach."

Vardan Oskanian described the resolution as double-faced: "On the one
hand it is trying to misinform, as in contains a provision supporting
the OSCE Minsk process, and on the other hand Azerbaijan ostentatiously
scoffed the position of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen. The
Co-Chairmen distinctly declared that they will not support the draft
resolution and, in fact, voted against."

"Now, we are interested in the next steps of Azerbaijan," the
Minister said.

"We want to clarify whether the object of this resolution was to
dissolve the negotiation process or now after receiving the mark of the
international community they will return to the table of negotiations
to work upon finding a stable regulation based on compromises."

"Refusing the resolution presented by Azerbaijan, the International
community confirmed its approval concerning the document existing
on the table of the negotiations today, which succesfully unites the
two principles of the Helsinki Final Act: the principles of the free
self-determination of nations and territorial completeness, which seem
to be mutually exclusive from the first sight," the RA Minister of
Foreign Affairs mentioned. "This document gives a unique opportunity
for Armenians and Azerbaijanis to move forward. This is what discerns
the Nagorno Karabakh problem from all the other conflicts existing
in our region and Europe and makes it peculiar not only from legal
and historival point of view but also with an innovative negotiation
approach, the object of which is to find a realistic solution."