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UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR UN TO AID WITH FIRES IN
KARABAKH
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian
foreign ministry said the 60-th session of the UN
General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for
the UN to help prevent environmental damage from fires
in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ministry said Armenia had negotiated the draft
resolution agreeing eventually to its content and
wording. As a result, it said, the resolution in
general is acceptable to Armenia. The resolution,
says, in particular that the UN General Assembly 'is
seriously concerned by the fires in the affected
territories, which have inflicted widespread
environmental damage."
The resolution stresses the necessity to urgently
conduct an environmental operation to suppress the
fires in the affected territories and to overcome
their detrimental consequences and welcomes the
readiness of the parties to cooperate to that end and
considers such an operation to be an important
confidence-building measure.
It also calls upon, in this regard, the
organizations and programs of the United Nations
system, in particular the United Nations Environmental
Program, in cooperation with the OSCE to provide all
necessary assistance and expertise, including, inter
alia, the assessment of and counteraction to the
short-term and long-term impact of the environmental
degradation of the region, as well as in its
rehabilitation.
The resolution asks the Co-Chairs of the Minsk
Group of the OSCE to provide a report to member States
of the General Assembly by April 30, 2007. The
Armenian ministry said Armenia's permanent
representative to the UN, Armen Martirosian, delivered
a statement at the session saying that the draft
resolution at hand addresses an issue, which 'we
thought had been brought to a close, two weeks ago,
through discussions with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
the Minsk Group Co-chairs and the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office's Personal Representative. A
decision was taken to send a mission of experts under
the OSCE to assess the fires."
"The authorities of Nagorno Karabakh had already
accepted this proposal, and Armenia was certainly
ready to use its good offices to facilitate such a
mission. It was our understanding that Azerbaijan had
also agreed. Given all this, it was surprising to see
a draft resolution circulating at the UN on this same
issue, especially since it called for a parallel
mission under the UN auspices.
This approach was unacceptable. We considered such
a step to be an obstacle to continuing negotiations.
And, since it was clearly intended to pursue other
political ends, Armenia opposed this motion. However,
as a result of our consultations with the Minsk Group
Co-chairs, we have come to agreement on a text that
simply reiterates support for the OSCE mission. In
this regard we would like to welcome the readiness of
all the parties to negotiate in the spirit of
compromise under the able and very effective mediation
of the Minsk Group Co-chairs.
Nevertheless, although we support the content of
the agreement, we continue to remain opposed to the
general idea of this agenda item and a UN resolution
under it. That is the reason Armenia dissociates
itself from the consensus on this resolution.
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR UN TO AID WITH FIRES IN
KARABAKH
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian
foreign ministry said the 60-th session of the UN
General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for
the UN to help prevent environmental damage from fires
in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ministry said Armenia had negotiated the draft
resolution agreeing eventually to its content and
wording. As a result, it said, the resolution in
general is acceptable to Armenia. The resolution,
says, in particular that the UN General Assembly 'is
seriously concerned by the fires in the affected
territories, which have inflicted widespread
environmental damage."
The resolution stresses the necessity to urgently
conduct an environmental operation to suppress the
fires in the affected territories and to overcome
their detrimental consequences and welcomes the
readiness of the parties to cooperate to that end and
considers such an operation to be an important
confidence-building measure.
It also calls upon, in this regard, the
organizations and programs of the United Nations
system, in particular the United Nations Environmental
Program, in cooperation with the OSCE to provide all
necessary assistance and expertise, including, inter
alia, the assessment of and counteraction to the
short-term and long-term impact of the environmental
degradation of the region, as well as in its
rehabilitation.
The resolution asks the Co-Chairs of the Minsk
Group of the OSCE to provide a report to member States
of the General Assembly by April 30, 2007. The
Armenian ministry said Armenia's permanent
representative to the UN, Armen Martirosian, delivered
a statement at the session saying that the draft
resolution at hand addresses an issue, which 'we
thought had been brought to a close, two weeks ago,
through discussions with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
the Minsk Group Co-chairs and the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office's Personal Representative. A
decision was taken to send a mission of experts under
the OSCE to assess the fires."
"The authorities of Nagorno Karabakh had already
accepted this proposal, and Armenia was certainly
ready to use its good offices to facilitate such a
mission. It was our understanding that Azerbaijan had
also agreed. Given all this, it was surprising to see
a draft resolution circulating at the UN on this same
issue, especially since it called for a parallel
mission under the UN auspices.
This approach was unacceptable. We considered such
a step to be an obstacle to continuing negotiations.
And, since it was clearly intended to pursue other
political ends, Armenia opposed this motion. However,
as a result of our consultations with the Minsk Group
Co-chairs, we have come to agreement on a text that
simply reiterates support for the OSCE mission. In
this regard we would like to welcome the readiness of
all the parties to negotiate in the spirit of
compromise under the able and very effective mediation
of the Minsk Group Co-chairs.
Nevertheless, although we support the content of
the agreement, we continue to remain opposed to the
general idea of this agenda item and a UN resolution
under it. That is the reason Armenia dissociates
itself from the consensus on this resolution.