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Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia: Azerbaijan is considering possible
enlargement of OSCE MG format
2008-04-05 22:13:00
ArmInfo. Azerbaijan is considering various versions of enlargement of
the Minsk Group's power and more active interference with the processes
in the countries being in the MG but not being its co-chairs, namely:
Italy, Finland, Belarus, as well as a group of countries presiding in
the OSCE. Moreover, Azerbaijan itself and Armenia are MG members.
Therefore, the matter will evidently concern an enlarged format. This
statement was made by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bul-Bul
ogly at a press-conference in Moscow, Trend reports.
The ambassador noted that nobody denies the great work being done by
the co-chairs, however, the Karabakh conflict is not simple and it's
hard to settle it according to some recommendations, as the conflict
covers the interests of two nations and countries. This is why the
embarrassing misunderstanding took place, Polad Bul-Bul ogly thinks,
meaning the fact that the three OSCE MG co-chair countries (Russia, the
United States and France) voted against the Azeri resolution at the UN
General Assembly.
According to him, Azerbaijan by right considers the passage of the
resolution at the UN General Assembly to be its great diplomatic
victory as Azerbaijan's position was supported by 40 countries. "By the
way, this resolution is by no means directed against other countries,
it completely supports the OSCE MG's work and expresses Azerbaijan's
position", he said. Though somebody disliked it and
voted against it, nevertheless in the future the settlement of the
Armenian-Azeri conflict may be only within the frames of Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity fixed by the resolution at the UN General
Assembly, he added.
Speaking of the resolution passed at the UN General Assembly and the
countries' positions during the voting, the Azeri ambassador to Russia
said that not only the GUAM member counties supported
Azerbaijan, but also the OIC countries, as well as many other
countries. He stressed that the passage of this resolution was very
important for Azerbaijan, and he is amazed at the fact that great
countries, nuclear weapon states, the OSCE MG co-chairs came out
against it qualifying it as untimely and non-constructive.
Yet, according to the ambassador, there is no need speaking about this
at some personal level, as Russia expressed its position quite
distinctly in relevant documents. "There is an official statement
that Russia, as a country, supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity,
and these statements have been made for several times both within the
frames of the OSCE MG and at a bilateral level. Therefore, here
Russia's position should cause nobody's doubt", he said. At the same
time, Russia came out against the resolution as it considered the
document to be untimely and able to break the peace process, he added.
The ambassador is convinced that Russia, the USA and France, as
mediators, should have made no pronouncement on the vote. "Azerbaijan
and our nation were displeased to learn that the OSCE MG co-chair
countries voted against the resolution and we think that mediators
should be neutral. They have considerably complicated their further
work by voting against the resolution", he said in conclusion.
enlargement of OSCE MG format
2008-04-05 22:13:00
ArmInfo. Azerbaijan is considering various versions of enlargement of
the Minsk Group's power and more active interference with the processes
in the countries being in the MG but not being its co-chairs, namely:
Italy, Finland, Belarus, as well as a group of countries presiding in
the OSCE. Moreover, Azerbaijan itself and Armenia are MG members.
Therefore, the matter will evidently concern an enlarged format. This
statement was made by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bul-Bul
ogly at a press-conference in Moscow, Trend reports.
The ambassador noted that nobody denies the great work being done by
the co-chairs, however, the Karabakh conflict is not simple and it's
hard to settle it according to some recommendations, as the conflict
covers the interests of two nations and countries. This is why the
embarrassing misunderstanding took place, Polad Bul-Bul ogly thinks,
meaning the fact that the three OSCE MG co-chair countries (Russia, the
United States and France) voted against the Azeri resolution at the UN
General Assembly.
According to him, Azerbaijan by right considers the passage of the
resolution at the UN General Assembly to be its great diplomatic
victory as Azerbaijan's position was supported by 40 countries. "By the
way, this resolution is by no means directed against other countries,
it completely supports the OSCE MG's work and expresses Azerbaijan's
position", he said. Though somebody disliked it and
voted against it, nevertheless in the future the settlement of the
Armenian-Azeri conflict may be only within the frames of Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity fixed by the resolution at the UN General
Assembly, he added.
Speaking of the resolution passed at the UN General Assembly and the
countries' positions during the voting, the Azeri ambassador to Russia
said that not only the GUAM member counties supported
Azerbaijan, but also the OIC countries, as well as many other
countries. He stressed that the passage of this resolution was very
important for Azerbaijan, and he is amazed at the fact that great
countries, nuclear weapon states, the OSCE MG co-chairs came out
against it qualifying it as untimely and non-constructive.
Yet, according to the ambassador, there is no need speaking about this
at some personal level, as Russia expressed its position quite
distinctly in relevant documents. "There is an official statement
that Russia, as a country, supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity,
and these statements have been made for several times both within the
frames of the OSCE MG and at a bilateral level. Therefore, here
Russia's position should cause nobody's doubt", he said. At the same
time, Russia came out against the resolution as it considered the
document to be untimely and able to break the peace process, he added.
The ambassador is convinced that Russia, the USA and France, as
mediators, should have made no pronouncement on the vote. "Azerbaijan
and our nation were displeased to learn that the OSCE MG co-chair
countries voted against the resolution and we think that mediators
should be neutral. They have considerably complicated their further
work by voting against the resolution", he said in conclusion.