UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO DEBATE NEW AZERI RESOLUTIONS ON KARABAKH

Asbarez
Jul 29th, 2009

UNITED NATIONS (Trend.az)-The 64th session of the United Nations
General Assembly may debate two Azeri drafted resolutions on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azeri Trend News Agency reported,
quoting the UN Press Office.

The two resolutions to be brought to the floor for a vote are
named:"Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications
for international peace, security and development" and "The situation
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan", the UN Press Office
told Trend.

According to Trend, the press office said the two resolutions were
been considered by the General Assembly at its 63rd session, and thus
remain on the agenda for the upcoming session. Their inclusion in
the provisional agenda of the 64th session is subject to any action
the Assembly may take on it at its 63rd session and the exact time
at which these resolutions are to be discussed will be determined at
the end of September.

Azerbaijan has long sought to exploit its alliances in the United
Nations to pass resolutions in the UN favoring its position on
Karabakh. Baku hopes to bolster its case in the peace process by
establishing a paper trail of relevant documents supporting its
alleged claims to Karabakh.

On March 14, as Armenia was in a state of emergency, Azerbaijan
succeeded in p ushing for an adoption of a resolution "reaffirming
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, demanding withdrawal of all
Armenian forces from all occupied territories there."

The non-binding resolution was adopted by a vote of 39 in favor to
7 against. The US, Russia and France voting against the resolution,
and stressed the importance of continued mediation efforts through the
OSCE Minsk Group, which they co-chair. They were joined by Armenia,
Angola, India, and Vanuatu in voting against it. Over 150 countries
abstained or did not vote.

Armenia’s then foreign minister, Vartan Oskanian, condemned the
resolution as "bogus" and "hypocritical." Armenia has long maintained
that the UN is not the proper venue for discussion or resolution of
the Karabakh conflict as it is under mediation by the OSCE Minsk Group.