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ONCE AGAIN, GEORGIA, UKRAINE AND MOLDOVA ARE PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF AZERBAIJAN
Lragir, Armenia
Dec 7 2006
Comments by Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Karabakh's
Constitutional Referendum
Once again, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova are playing into the hands
of Azerbaijan by meddling into an issue which does not concern them.
A statement by GUAM on the upcoming constitutional referendum in
Nagorno Karabakh is misguided. What is being argued is far from
the truth.
During this decade and a half, in a situation of no-peace and no-war,
and to their credit, the people and authorities of Nagorno Karabakh
have built a lawful, well-regulated internal governance system. They
have built political institutions; through elections they have selected
their own authorities and developed a legislative framework.
Today, they have recognized the need for a basic law, and chosen
the internationally accepted practice of a referendum as the only
acceptable way to collectively adopt that basic law.
Azerbaijan claims that exercising a vote is an obstruction to the
peace process.
Just the opposite. At the core of the negotiations to reach a peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the right of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh for self-determination.
What really obstructs the process is the Azerbaijani overreaction
to Karabakh's 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.
For Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to dismiss the democratic aspirations
of the people of Nagorno Karabakh and blame them for choosing to
behave democratically is counterproductive.
Lragir, Armenia
Dec 7 2006
Comments by Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Karabakh's
Constitutional Referendum
Once again, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova are playing into the hands
of Azerbaijan by meddling into an issue which does not concern them.
A statement by GUAM on the upcoming constitutional referendum in
Nagorno Karabakh is misguided. What is being argued is far from
the truth.
During this decade and a half, in a situation of no-peace and no-war,
and to their credit, the people and authorities of Nagorno Karabakh
have built a lawful, well-regulated internal governance system. They
have built political institutions; through elections they have selected
their own authorities and developed a legislative framework.
Today, they have recognized the need for a basic law, and chosen
the internationally accepted practice of a referendum as the only
acceptable way to collectively adopt that basic law.
Azerbaijan claims that exercising a vote is an obstruction to the
peace process.
Just the opposite. At the core of the negotiations to reach a peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the right of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh for self-determination.
What really obstructs the process is the Azerbaijani overreaction
to Karabakh's 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.
For Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to dismiss the democratic aspirations
of the people of Nagorno Karabakh and blame them for choosing to
behave democratically is counterproductive.