OSCE NOT TO RECOGNIZE CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN NKR
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 14 2006
YEREVAN, December 14. /ARKA/. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, stated that the OSCE
will not recognize the referendum on a draft constitution held in
Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday. "Such a referendum is counter-productive
to the ongoing conflict settlement process, which has recently shown
visible progress, as acknowledged by the parties," said Minister
De Gucht. Referring to a statement on Nagorno-Karabakh made at last
week's 14th OSCE Ministerial Council in Brussels, he said: "We do not
welcome a move that could jeopardize progress made at this promising
juncture." He also referred to today's statement by the Co-Chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, saying: "A reason not to recognize this
referendum is that no member of the international community recognizes
the so-called Nagorno-Karabach republic as an independent state."
According to preliminary results, a total of 77,279 people or 98.58%
of voters voted for the Constitution, 549 (0.7%) against.
Over 100 international observers from Russia, France, Italy, Great
Britain, Croatia, Serbia the USA, Transdniestria, Abkhazia and the
South Ossetia monitored the elections.
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Dec 14 2006
YEREVAN, December 14. /ARKA/. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, stated that the OSCE
will not recognize the referendum on a draft constitution held in
Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday. "Such a referendum is counter-productive
to the ongoing conflict settlement process, which has recently shown
visible progress, as acknowledged by the parties," said Minister
De Gucht. Referring to a statement on Nagorno-Karabakh made at last
week's 14th OSCE Ministerial Council in Brussels, he said: "We do not
welcome a move that could jeopardize progress made at this promising
juncture." He also referred to today's statement by the Co-Chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, saying: "A reason not to recognize this
referendum is that no member of the international community recognizes
the so-called Nagorno-Karabach republic as an independent state."
According to preliminary results, a total of 77,279 people or 98.58%
of voters voted for the Constitution, 549 (0.7%) against.
Over 100 international observers from Russia, France, Italy, Great
Britain, Croatia, Serbia the USA, Transdniestria, Abkhazia and the
South Ossetia monitored the elections.