Tweet
"I KNOW THAT DESECRATION OF THE ARMENIAN CEMETERY IN NAKHICHEVAN RAISED VERY STRONG FEELINGS IN ARMENIA"
The exclusive interview of the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador
Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, to Armenian Mediamax news agency, May
2006
Mediamax news agency
May 2006
- Armenia was among those CIS countries which criticized the OSCE in
a statement made in summer 2004 and today it seems the OSCE reform
has become a legitimate item on the agenda of the Organization.
- Like any organization, OSCE is in a constant process of adapting
to new realities. What you are referring to is the requirement of
certain countries within OSCE to make more substantial changes in
order to reflect their own perception that there are occasionally
double standards within OSCE.
Since decisions are taken in the OSCE on the basis of consensus,
any decision requires a large amount of compromising discussion in
order to be reached. We are right now going to that process. We hope
this process will be a very successful one.
But I do not think any final package will be reached before the next
Ministerial meeting to be held in Brussels this December. In between,
we are in active contacts with all countries, including Armenia,
which has been following this issue closely, and I think the Armenian
authorities understand that the OSCE Secretariat is doing its best
to address the existing concerns under the prevailing conditions.
- In July 2004, CIS member states declared that "there is a clear
misbalance between the three dimensions of security - Military and
political, Economic and environmental and Human. There is a clear
shift of priorities towards humanitarian problems, which noticeably
reduces the OSCE's ability to oppose new challenges and threats". Do
you agree that such misbalance indeed exists?
- Here in Armenia the work done by OSCE is remarkably balanced. In
a broader way, it is true that the OSCE occasionally is perceived
more through its Human dimension, but it is also a fact that a lot
of resourses of the OSCE come from the voluntary contributions of
participating states and that many of them place a large emphasis on
the Human dimension, providing resourses for that.
I would greatly encourage all those participating states who want more
spending on other dimensions to look at how they might contribute to
all the dimensions.
- It seems that the Economic and Environmental dimension of the OSCE
is coming to the forefront of discussions initiated 30 years ago in
Helsinki. What benefits can Armenia expect from the OSCE?
- We are going to have in Prague the Economic forum on May 21, which
has been solely prepared by meetings in Dushanbe and Baku. We will be
putting attention on issues which are directly relevant to the economic
prosperity of a country like Armenia. This is a clear indication that
the economic dimension is being taken very seriously, with particular
focus on issues which are relevant to the countries in the Caucasus.
- How is the cooperation between Armenia and the OSCE Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) developing? Do you
see any room for improvement?
- I think the relations between OSCE and Armenia are good and that
the Office for Democracy and Human Rights (ODHR) is part of that
relationship. We expect that ODHR will be invited to send long-term
and short-term election monitors to the upcoming elections in Armenian
in 2007 and 2008. We are making comments on the amendments to the
electoral law and we hope that this will be taken into account. But
what is most important would be for any decisions taken by the
parliament to be fully implemented in the forthcoming elections.
- In the context of the OSCE Human dimension the issues of Tolerance
and Non-Discrimination are at the forefront of the discussions.
Don't you think that in this respect much more attention should be
paid to the situation in our region?
- I think you are touching on a very important point. It would be a
great complicating factor if existing political tensions would be given
a cultural dimension. I am well aware of the fact that desecration of
the Armenian cemetery in Nakhichevan has raised very strong feelings
in Armenia. The Armenian Catholicos expressed his deep sadness and
sorrow about this. We are going to work very hard for the solution
of the conflict itself in order to eliminate the root causes for this
possible cultural tension. We are all concerned about this.
The exclusive interview of the OSCE Secretary General, Ambassador
Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, to Armenian Mediamax news agency, May
2006
Mediamax news agency
May 2006
- Armenia was among those CIS countries which criticized the OSCE in
a statement made in summer 2004 and today it seems the OSCE reform
has become a legitimate item on the agenda of the Organization.
- Like any organization, OSCE is in a constant process of adapting
to new realities. What you are referring to is the requirement of
certain countries within OSCE to make more substantial changes in
order to reflect their own perception that there are occasionally
double standards within OSCE.
Since decisions are taken in the OSCE on the basis of consensus,
any decision requires a large amount of compromising discussion in
order to be reached. We are right now going to that process. We hope
this process will be a very successful one.
But I do not think any final package will be reached before the next
Ministerial meeting to be held in Brussels this December. In between,
we are in active contacts with all countries, including Armenia,
which has been following this issue closely, and I think the Armenian
authorities understand that the OSCE Secretariat is doing its best
to address the existing concerns under the prevailing conditions.
- In July 2004, CIS member states declared that "there is a clear
misbalance between the three dimensions of security - Military and
political, Economic and environmental and Human. There is a clear
shift of priorities towards humanitarian problems, which noticeably
reduces the OSCE's ability to oppose new challenges and threats". Do
you agree that such misbalance indeed exists?
- Here in Armenia the work done by OSCE is remarkably balanced. In
a broader way, it is true that the OSCE occasionally is perceived
more through its Human dimension, but it is also a fact that a lot
of resourses of the OSCE come from the voluntary contributions of
participating states and that many of them place a large emphasis on
the Human dimension, providing resourses for that.
I would greatly encourage all those participating states who want more
spending on other dimensions to look at how they might contribute to
all the dimensions.
- It seems that the Economic and Environmental dimension of the OSCE
is coming to the forefront of discussions initiated 30 years ago in
Helsinki. What benefits can Armenia expect from the OSCE?
- We are going to have in Prague the Economic forum on May 21, which
has been solely prepared by meetings in Dushanbe and Baku. We will be
putting attention on issues which are directly relevant to the economic
prosperity of a country like Armenia. This is a clear indication that
the economic dimension is being taken very seriously, with particular
focus on issues which are relevant to the countries in the Caucasus.
- How is the cooperation between Armenia and the OSCE Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) developing? Do you
see any room for improvement?
- I think the relations between OSCE and Armenia are good and that
the Office for Democracy and Human Rights (ODHR) is part of that
relationship. We expect that ODHR will be invited to send long-term
and short-term election monitors to the upcoming elections in Armenian
in 2007 and 2008. We are making comments on the amendments to the
electoral law and we hope that this will be taken into account. But
what is most important would be for any decisions taken by the
parliament to be fully implemented in the forthcoming elections.
- In the context of the OSCE Human dimension the issues of Tolerance
and Non-Discrimination are at the forefront of the discussions.
Don't you think that in this respect much more attention should be
paid to the situation in our region?
- I think you are touching on a very important point. It would be a
great complicating factor if existing political tensions would be given
a cultural dimension. I am well aware of the fact that desecration of
the Armenian cemetery in Nakhichevan has raised very strong feelings
in Armenia. The Armenian Catholicos expressed his deep sadness and
sorrow about this. We are going to work very hard for the solution
of the conflict itself in order to eliminate the root causes for this
possible cultural tension. We are all concerned about this.