news.am, Armenia
Nov 7 2009

Semneby’s response to NEWS.am article

16:44 / 11/07/2009The office of EU Special Representative for the
South Caucasus Peter Semneby responded to the Nov. 3 NEWS.am article
on the statements by the European politician in the interview with
Russian paper `Vremya Novostei’. Mr. Semneby told journalists, that
`As regards the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides’ readiness for
concessions in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Semneby pointed out
that the Madrid Principles, which became known after the G8 meeting,
contain rather clear definitions,’ NEWS.am article reads.

At that, EU Special Representative underlined that `the most serious
problems are in details, but general principles for both the sides to
make concessions are clear. The most complicated issues, namely the
ones related to Nagorno-Karabakh’s status, are postponed for an
indefinite period.’

Commenting on the critics voiced by RA Deputy Foreign Minister
Shavarsh Kocharyan as well as in the article by political expert Ivan
Gharibyan, Mr. Semneby’s Political Advisor Andrei Didenko says,
`News.am carried an unsigned article on 3 November, which
misinterpreted and criticized me for statements I made in an interview
to the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei on 2 November. I would like
to make the following clarifications.

My statement on the determination of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh
reflects the statement of Presidents Obama, Medvedev, and Sarkozy at
the G20 summit in Italy on 10 July 2009. This document states that the
Basic Principles call for future determination of the final legal
status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of
will.

In the Vremya Novostei interview, the reporter asked a deliberately
provocative question asserting, inter alia, that the result of the
vote may be negative for Armenia. The written text could give the
impression that I share all assumptions of the journalist, which is
not the case. I merely acknowledged that this is a difficult issue for
Yerevan.’

The message was signed `Peter Semneby, The EU Special Representative
for South Caucasus’.

Although the letter was sent by Andrei Didenko, it spoke on behalf of
Mr. Semneby. We would like to let the European Diplomat know that Mr.
Ivan Gharbyan is the author of the article which says his name in the
original text (in Russian).

It is apparent that neither the author, nor the Agency knew of the
`provocative’ nature of the Vremya Novostei reporter’s question (also
even post factum there seems to be nothing provocative), and published
the article based on the context of Mr. Semneby’s replies solely.

For some reason the EU diplomat reckons that it is easier for Yerevan
to make concessions, than for Baku. Meanwhile he concealed of
Azerbaijan’s unacceptability to escalate warlike rhetoric in the
current situation. This rhetoric in the strained situation sounds more
provocative, than the reporter’s questions. Referring to the
statements by Russian, U.S., and French Presidents, Peter Semneby
fails to mention that Obama, Medvedev and Sarkozy insist that the
conflict should be resolved peacefully observing all norms of the
international law ` including the one on nations’ right for
self-determination. And intentionally protract or accelerate the day
of this right’s triumph ` is a blemish job, as Karabakhi people
already exercised their right in the course of the war forced upon
them and without accounting for the opinion of various European and
other officials.