UNRECOGNIZED NAGORNO-KARABAKH HAS NO LEGAL GROUNDS TO OBSERVE UN DECISION: HELSINKI INITIATIVE-92

Regnum
March 17 2008
Russia

"Non-recognition of NKR is a problem of the international community,
not one of Nagorno-Karabakh. For our part, we are open to the
international community and improve our democratic system by
practically implementing all programs rooted in modern challenges
and aiming at maintaining and strengthening global and regional
security." Coordinator of the Nagorno-Karabakh Committee of "Helsinki
Initiative-92" Karen Ohandjanyan made the statement while commenting
to REGNUM on recently adopted by UN General Assembly’s resolution
"The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan."

In his words, UN GA decision "causes concern; however, if the
international community does not recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic, the decision of the international community will then
have no legal force for Stepanakert." "Nagorno Karabakh used its
right for self-determination in 1991, using all legal mechanisms
corresponding to international law. And today, the NKR people is
bound to defend its right to individually decide its own fate and be
a part of the international community, to which it de facto belongs,"
Karen Ohanjanyan said.

On March 14, the UN General Assembly voted on an initiated by Baku
resolution "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan"
(39 delegations approved, 7 disapproved, and 100 abstained). The
resolution authors stress "the necessity of total, unconditional
and immediate withdrawal of the occupation forces of Armenia from
all occupied territories of the Azerbaijan." Co-Chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement (the USA and
France are members, beside Russia) voted against the project. In
a joint statement on the motives of the vote they explained their
position by one-sidedness, untimeliness, and unproductiveness of the
Azerbaijani side’s step.

The resolution was approved by: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Columbia, Comoro Islands, Djibouti,
Gambia, Georgia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia,
Maldive Islands, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra-Leone,
Somali, Sudan, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates,
Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

Angola, Armenia, France, India, Russia, the USA, and Vanuatu voted
against the resolution.

Head of Armenian foreign ministry characterized the resolution as
hypocritical. "The whole issue depends on whether Azerbaijan will
further undermine the peace process or sit down at the negotiations
table," Vardan Oskanian stated.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress