Successful elections provide good basis for the Karabakh conflict settlement
14.05.2007 17:15
Tatul Hakobyan
"Radiolur"
In separate statements the European structures welcome the progress
registered in the parliamentary elections of Armenia. These
appreciations are important for our country not only from the
perspective of reinforcement of democracy, but also from the point of
view of the positive resolution of the Karabakh issue.
May 10-11 the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan Vartan
Oskanian and Elmar Mammadyarov met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs
in Strasbourg. Earlier the Co-Chairs had a meeting with the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Spain’s Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos. Ways of the Karabakh conflict resolution were discussed
during the meeting. Moratinos declared he will do his best to promote
the resolution of the conflict.
Obviously, the election period is not the best period for holding
intensive negotiations. For having firm positions in the talks, it is,
certainly, important for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh how the
elections passed. Since four international organizations ` he
OSCE/ODIHR, OSCE PA, PACE and the European Parliament, as well as the
CIS Observation Mission ` labeled these elections as corresponding to
European standards, it should be noted that this is a good basis for
the future talks.
Presidency of the European Union (EU) stated `with satisfaction’ that
the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on 12 May `were, on the
whole, conducted fairly, freely and largely in accordance with the
international commitments which Armenia had entered into.’
`Presidency welcomes the fact that, compared to previous elections,
significant progress has been made,’ the document reads.
European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy
Benita Ferrero-Waldner declared today that by holding the
parliamentary elections largely in compliance with international
standards, `Armenia made an important step forward in fulfilling one
of the priorities of the Action Plan in the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy.
The progress registered in the elections was welcomed by Washington as
well. The US Embassy today congratulated the Armenian nation for
holding better elections as compared to the previous ones.’ `We share
the satisfaction of the international observers with the fact that
both legal and technical electoral infrastructures have been greatly
improved.’
Among others, the resolution of the Karabakh conflict is connected
with the state of democracy in the negotiating countries. Under the
conditions when the international community is more interested
Azerbaijani rich in oil, rather than blockaded Armenia, the obvious
progress in the issue of democracy can become a very important
factor. Since never in its history Azerbaijan conducted free and fair
elections, Armenia can go far ahead of its neighbor.
The presidential elections in Nagorno Karabakh on July 19 are of equal
importance. Although the international community has not recognized
any elections held in Nagorno Karabakh, it does not mean the
international community does not follow these. Finally, it is very
important for Nagorno Karabakh to be ahead in regard to democratic
standards than the internationally recognized Azerbaijan. It will be
hard to make the free and democratic Nagorno Karabakh obey Azerbaijan.
Let us remind that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are scheduled to
visit the region later in May. Early June OSCE Chairman-in-Office
Miguel Angel Moratinos is expected to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan. On
June 10 the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are due to meet in
Saint Petersburg.