PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
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STATEMENT BY
FOREIGN MINISTER VARTAN OSKANIAN
AT THE 14TH OSCE MINISTERIAL
December 4, Brussels
Mr. Chairman,
The agenda before this 14th Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the OSCE
has far-reaching implications. In some cases, it extends and deepens our
past commitments. In others, it expands the scope of our overall
pre-occupations with security, and its complex, multidimensional
components.
The decisions we are about to adopt on the exploitation of children, hate
crimes, human trafficking, trafficking in small arms and illegal weapons
are extensions of existing domains. The important decisions on organized
crime, transportation and energy security are clearly additional
directions, claiming distinct attention.
It has been an arduous process addressing the issues that the Ljubljana
Ministerial tasked us with. Regrettably, the search for a middle ground
has inevitably led to the weakening of some modest but substantive
proposals, inspired by the Eminent Persons~R approach. Mr. Chairman, the
Belgian Chairmanship under your guidance, succeeded to keep up the
momentum, look for solutions, cajole, pressure and produce this package of
decisions to enhance the effectiveness of our organization.
Allow me to point to what I wish were also included. I wish, for example,
that the role of host countries, their prerogatives and interests were
more fully reflected in the decision regarding the enhancement of the
effectiveness of the OSCE~Rs Secretariat, the institutions and the field
missions. After all, the ultimate benefit of the field office in Yerevan,
and elsewhere, is in their efforts to make themselves redundant.
Additionally, regarding the utility of ODIHR~Rs work. As effective as
ODIHR~Rs priorities and practices are, it would be misleading to conclude
that it can no longer adapt, be improved or become more responsive and
transparent. Its operational autonomy should not insulate it entirely from
the judgment and appreciation of participating states.
This ~Qreform~R process has been trying to find its way toward a
satisfactory conclusion for more than 5 years. Today, the participating
states face a crucial dilemma — terminate the process because it is
incomplete, or continue work on at least some elements, hoping the next
round will be more fruitful. Armenia is clearly inclined towards this
second choice. Otherwise, we will expose our inability to achieve
convergence about the means of getting our own house in order before we
keep expanding our agenda to cope with the world~Rs ills.
Mr. Chairman, in Armenia, we understand the importance of getting one~Rs
own house in order, in order to successfully navigate the myriad regional
and global challenges. Thus, we have focused on strengthening our economy
and consolidating our democratic reforms. We continue to register double
digit growth, we remain highest in the region on the UN~Rs Human
Development Index. To empower the residents of rural Armenia and enable
the sustainability and viability of Armenia~Rs villages, we have embarked,
together with the Diaspora and with public and private partners, on a
rural poverty eradication program, because this segment of our population
has benefited only modestly from Armenia~Rs overall economic growth.
In addition, we have taken on additional political reform commitments,
especially in the run-up to two important election years. I believe we
must also take special steps to engage our public in setting the agenda
for these elections, and through them for the next decade of stabilization
and prosperity. A public that believes in its role in the development of
our society will be a public that is ready to take ownership of the
election process and its outcomes. We will invite ODIHR to observe the
process and we hope to meet the standards and expectations of a watching
world.
Mr. Chairman,
We know that the world is watching our region for other reasons as well.
No one wants a lasting settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict more
than we do. The last meeting between the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan gives us hope that agreement may yet be found even on those
principles around which we still don~Rt see eye to eye. We know that a
lasting solution will depend on the security and status of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh. That is how this conflict began ~V when their security
was violated, and their right to self-determination trampled over. The
principles under discussion seek to satisfy the right of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination while at the same time eliminating
the consequences of the conflict. We anticipate that indeed Azerbaijan
will find the will to acknowledge and respect the right of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh to determine its own future, its own status, its own
security arrangements.
In just a few days, Nagorno Karabakh will hold a referendum to
adopt a Constitution. During this decade and a half, they have built
political institutions, through elections they have selected their own
authorities and developed a legislative framework. They recognized the
need for a basic law, and recognized that a referendum is the only
acceptable way to collectively adopt that basic law. For the international
community to dismiss their democratic aspirations and blame them for
choosing to behave democratically is counterproductive. Azerbaijan claims
that exercising a vote is an obstruction to the peace process. It can~Rt be
further from the truth. What really obstructs the process is their
overreaction to Karabakh~Rs democratic activities, their refusal to engage
Nagorno Karabakh in peace talks, their repeated militaristic calls and
their persistent efforts to sidetrack the Minsk Group negotiations
process.
Finally Mr. Chairman, we wish the Spanish Chairmanship well.