EDWARD NALBANDIAN: REGIONAL SECURITY A PRIORITY FOR ARMENIA

armradio.am
16.05.2009 13:45

The "Security and Cooperation in and around the Caucasus" International
Conference continued in Yerevan today. Speaking at the conference, the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian expressed
hope that the discussions held at the Conference would be useful
in generating innovative ideas that would help evaluate and repel
efficiently security risks and threats in the region.

"The wider Caucasus region represents a hot spot on the world’s
political map with almost a full set of security threats and
challenges. The region is devastated by conflicts and interstate
tensions, sometimes deriving from unfair historical past, the dividing
lines caused by the clashing interests of regional and global actors,
economic blockade and closed borders. This presents a situation in
which cooperative actions and joint economic projects in energy,
transportation and other sectors on a regional level could prove much
more effective and mutually beneficial than policies of isolationism
and enmity," Edward Nalbandian stated.

According o the Foreign Minister, for Armenia, regional security
was always a priority. "We have been stressing over and over that
creation of new dividing lines is unacceptable. And differences
should be settled by peaceful and political means. Threat of or use
of force for the solution of c onflicts is not an alternative and
could seriously destabilize our region and have grave consequences.

The Caucasus needs constructive ideas and initiatives, not violence.

Outbursts of violence can only fuel new animosities, escalate new
tensions, and trigger new repulsive demonstrations of destruction. If
we fail to come to terms with the new realities and reshape our
political thinking, it would only mark a roll-back to the cold-war
realities in this small yet important corner of the world, with
negative consequences for all.

The foreign policy and external security priorities for Armenia,
therefore, include, among others, the establishment of an overall
regional security and cooperation framework. This could be achieved
through dialogue, negotiations, alleviation of existing tensions and
peaceful resolution of conflicts."

Minister Nalbandian stated that Armenia openly votes for a balanced
and pragmatic foreign policy that sets its targets based on its own
vital interests and those of others. "Our foreign policy focuses
on developing relations with neighboring countries in a way that
highlights common concerns and interests, rather than differences and
disparities. Advocating political positivism and pragmatism, we pledge
to be ‘for’ and not ‘against.’ We are confident that through joint
efforts and manifestation of political will the region’s nations
can reach win-win solutions in conflict resolutions and settling
other differences."

Minister Nalbandian pointed to two main security challenges that
are of a paramount importance for Armenia: the peaceful and just
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. "These challenges are different, and by
no means interconnected, even if some would like to see a linkage or
parallelism in their resolution," Mr. Nalbandian stated.

According to him, the legitimate concerns of the people of Nagorno
Karabakh for security have been at the heart of insisting on their
internationally accepted legal right to self-determination. "Indeed,
their very physical security has been at stake as a result of the
conflict in the beginning of the last decade. In the international
arena Azerbaijan consistently misinterprets the essence of the
Nagorno Karabakh problem, trying to conceal the ethnic cleansing and
its policy of violence conducted against the people of Karabakh in
1988-1991. Consequently, these actions developed into open aggression
and large-scale hostilities against the people of Karabakh, involving
mercenaries closely linked to terrorist organizations, and which
claimed the lives of tens of thousands of civilians."

"Over the past fifteen years Armenia spared no effort to exert
its influence and, indeed, to engage directly in the process of
negotiations to find a durable and just resolution of the conflict
in Nagorno Karab akh. The problem could have been solved as early as
2001, after the Paris and Key West talks, when we were very close
to the resolution, had the Azerbaijani side not backtracked from
the agreements.

Even today, we would have been closer to the resolution if the
co-chairs did not spent months trying to convince the Azerbaijani side
to negotiate on the basis of the proposals put forward in 2007, and
known as the Madrid document the very existence of which Azerbaijani
side had denied for months," the Foreign Minister stated.

Nevertheless, according to Minister Nalbandian, the latest meetings
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, the Moscow Declaration,
the declaration of the OSCE Ministerial and Statement made by the
Foreign Ministers of the co-chair states in Helsinki, are signs of
progress in the process for which the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs has
proven to be the effective and credible format.

"We are hopeful that a necessary degree of a political will from
Azerbaijan and denunciation of the war as an option, as well as
rejection of war propaganda and incitement to hatred towards Armenia
and Armenians will eventually be demonstrated in order to bring the
process to its successful completion," he stated

Turning to the process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations, Minister Nalbandian said: "Over the past year, following
the initiative of the Armenian President, together with20our
Turkish neighbors and with the help of our Swiss partners we have
advanced towards opening one of the last closed borders in Europe and
normalization of our relations without preconditions. The ball is in
the Turkish side now. And we hope that they will find the wisdom and
the courage to make the last decisive step. We wish to be confident
that the necessary political will can eventually leave behind the
mentality of the past.

We have been most encouraged by the support of the international
community.

We are well aware of the fundamental and positive implications of
the establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations and of the opening
of the border for the security and stability of the region.

Our motivation is clear in the case of both challenges – and that is,
perhaps, one single common element joining them. It is that we should
not leave the burden of our differences and problems on the shoulders
of the coming generations. We must build bridges between our nations,
working out mutually beneficial regional cooperation schemes. And
our common objective should be shaping of a region that is safe and
prosperous for all."