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UN CONCERNED ABOUT FIRES IN ARMENIAN-OCCUPIED LANDS
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 8 2006
The UN General Assembly expressed concern late Thursday at fires
reported in Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani territories, in a
compromise resolution that seeks to placate Azerbaijan and address
Armenia's strong opposition to UN involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process.
The assembly called for an urgent "environmental operation to suppress
the fires in the affected territories and to overcome their detrimental
consequences" and threw its weight behind the OSCE's decision to send
a fact-finding mission to occupied Azerbaijani districts surrounding
Karabakh. It asked the American, French and Russian co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group to submit the mission's findings to the United
Nations by next April.
The resolution also instructs the UN Environmental Program to assess
"the short-term and long-term impact of the environmental degradation
of the region, as well as in its rehabilitation."
Azerbaijan has for months been accusing Armenian forces of deliberately
setting fire to deserted Azerbaijani villages east of Karabakh. Armenia
and the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have rejected the
accusations, saying that the bushfires are caused by natural factors
such as hot weather. The Azerbaijani allegations were also effectively
dismissed by the OSCE's field representatives in the conflict zone.
Official Baku rejected, however, the findings of their two inspections
of the occupied lands, leading the Minsk Group and the OSCE's
rotating chairman-in-office to promise to conduct a more thorough
investigation. The authorities in Yerevan and Stepanakert agreed to
the idea.
Armenia threatened to boycott the next round of Karabakh peace
talks when Azerbaijan moved to include the issue on the UN General
Assembly agenda last week. An Azerbaijani draft resolution submitted
to the assembly accused the Armenians of pursuing a "scorched earth"
policy in the occupied lands and demanded a separate UN inquiry
into the problem. But it underwent radical changes as a result of
behind-the-scene talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats and
the international mediators. Azerbaijan's UN Ambassador Yashar Aliev
described the text, adopted by consensus, as "honest and appropriate."
Aliev's Armenian opposite number, Armen Martirosian, said: "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."
Still, Martirosian added that Yerevan decided to dissociate itself from
the document because it disagrees with its title that refers to "the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan." The diplomat also objected to the
"the general idea of this agenda item and a UN resolution under it."
The Minsk group co-chairs, for their part, issued a joint statement
saying that "fires of both natural and manmade origin are a regular
occurrence in the region in question." "We commend the spirit of
goodwill demonstrated by both Armenia and Azerbaijan in agreeing to
cooperate to address the situation raised through this resolution,"
they said.
The mediators are due to hold separate talks with the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Paris next week, in a fresh attempt
to clinch agreement on the main principles of a Karabakh settlement
which they made public in June. Their statement renewed calls for
the conflicting parties to sign up to the proposed peace deal.
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Sept 8 2006
The UN General Assembly expressed concern late Thursday at fires
reported in Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani territories, in a
compromise resolution that seeks to placate Azerbaijan and address
Armenia's strong opposition to UN involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process.
The assembly called for an urgent "environmental operation to suppress
the fires in the affected territories and to overcome their detrimental
consequences" and threw its weight behind the OSCE's decision to send
a fact-finding mission to occupied Azerbaijani districts surrounding
Karabakh. It asked the American, French and Russian co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group to submit the mission's findings to the United
Nations by next April.
The resolution also instructs the UN Environmental Program to assess
"the short-term and long-term impact of the environmental degradation
of the region, as well as in its rehabilitation."
Azerbaijan has for months been accusing Armenian forces of deliberately
setting fire to deserted Azerbaijani villages east of Karabakh. Armenia
and the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have rejected the
accusations, saying that the bushfires are caused by natural factors
such as hot weather. The Azerbaijani allegations were also effectively
dismissed by the OSCE's field representatives in the conflict zone.
Official Baku rejected, however, the findings of their two inspections
of the occupied lands, leading the Minsk Group and the OSCE's
rotating chairman-in-office to promise to conduct a more thorough
investigation. The authorities in Yerevan and Stepanakert agreed to
the idea.
Armenia threatened to boycott the next round of Karabakh peace
talks when Azerbaijan moved to include the issue on the UN General
Assembly agenda last week. An Azerbaijani draft resolution submitted
to the assembly accused the Armenians of pursuing a "scorched earth"
policy in the occupied lands and demanded a separate UN inquiry
into the problem. But it underwent radical changes as a result of
behind-the-scene talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats and
the international mediators. Azerbaijan's UN Ambassador Yashar Aliev
described the text, adopted by consensus, as "honest and appropriate."
Aliev's Armenian opposite number, Armen Martirosian, said: "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."
Still, Martirosian added that Yerevan decided to dissociate itself from
the document because it disagrees with its title that refers to "the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan." The diplomat also objected to the
"the general idea of this agenda item and a UN resolution under it."
The Minsk group co-chairs, for their part, issued a joint statement
saying that "fires of both natural and manmade origin are a regular
occurrence in the region in question." "We commend the spirit of
goodwill demonstrated by both Armenia and Azerbaijan in agreeing to
cooperate to address the situation raised through this resolution,"
they said.
The mediators are due to hold separate talks with the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Paris next week, in a fresh attempt
to clinch agreement on the main principles of a Karabakh settlement
which they made public in June. Their statement renewed calls for
the conflicting parties to sign up to the proposed peace deal.