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LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: START OF NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT FINAL STAGE WAS ANNOUNCED BY MOSCOW DECLARATION
Noyan Tapan
http://www.nt.am?shownews=1009565
Nov 7, 2008
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Though many formed an impression that
the joint declaration signed by the Presidents of Russia, Armenia,
and Azerbaijan on November 2 has a formal nature and is deprived of
concrete contents, however, according to first RA President Levon
Ter-Petrosian, people not familiar with the nuances of the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement process can form such a wrong impression. While,
as L. Ter-Petrosian mentioned in his interview to A1+, for experts,
the declaration is, on the contrary, too eloquent, as several concrete
moments and moments of principle are clarifed in it.
According to the first RA President, the document is only the
top of the iceberg, and a much more detailed protocol lays under
it. Presenting the latter's content he said:
"1. The very first point of the declaration contains an alarming
formulation, according to which "the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will
be solved on the basis of principles and norms of international law,
as well as of decisions and documents adopted within the framework of
them." The diplomatic expression regarding "principles and norms of
international law" is not so alarming as the mentioning of "decisions
and documents adopted within the framework of them." By the latters,
no doubt, by Azerbaijan's demand, Resolutions of UN General Assembly N
62/243 and of PACE N 1614 are meant, in which Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity is recognized and unreserved withdrawal of Armenian troops
from Azeri territories bordering upon Nagorno Karabakh is demanded.
2. Moscow declaration's Point 2 unequivocally records that the Madrid
principle of November 29, 2007 of Minsk Group co-chairmanship will
be laid in the basis of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. <...> I
will remind that the idea of Madrid proposal is combination of two
principles of international law, territorial integrity and nations'
self-determination.
3. In fact, a new format of conflict sides is determined in
declaration's preface and Point 4, in which the necessity to solve
the Nagorno Karabakh problem through a direct dialogue proceeding
between Azerbaijan and Armenia is mentioned. Thus, the declaration
finally buries the decision made by the 1994 OSCE Budapest summit,
under which Nagorno Karabakh Republic was recognized as a third
conflict party enjoying full rights. And it means that NKR will have
no role in the further process of negotiations deciding its fate.
4. However, the most important result of Moscow declaration should
be considered the fact that the two conflict parties established by
the new format, Armenia and Azerbaijan, by signing that document,
officially gave a consent to the Madrid proposal, which is an
unprecedented event in the whole process of Nagorno Karabakh
settlement. The point is that the previous three official proposals
of Minsk Group co-chairmanship, "package," "stage-by-stage,"
and "common state" were not unanimously approved by the conflict
sides and therefore were removed from the agenda. The "package" and
"stage-by-stage" variants were rejected by Nagorno Karabakh and the
variant of a "common state" by Azerbaijan. Thus, by the signatures
of Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev under Moscow declaration the start
of Nagorno Karabakh settlement final stage is announced."
In response to the question of whether Russia's initiative does not
contradict the thought expressed in his last speech that it is the West
that will play a decisive part in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, L.
Ter-Petrosian said: "Not at all. Though Moscow meeting is indeed
turning, yet it is only the start of the settlement process. Now
that process continues in Europe and in all probability, will finish
in December in the United States. Thus, though outwardly the honor
of launching the settlement is given to Russia, nevertheless the
prerogative to finish the settlement will belong to the West. Both
Sargsyan and Aliyev took part in Moscow meeting if not forcedly, then
at least with unconcealed reluctance, and all the same, though from
different considerations, after all they will prefer the mediation
of the West."
As regards the necessity to continue the activity of OSCE Minsk
Group, which is mentioned in the declaration, according to
the first RA President, the more the necessity of Minsk Group's
activity is emphasized and the more compliments addressed to it are
lavished, the more the suspicions on disagreements within the group
deepen. L. Ter-Petrosian affirmed that Minsk Group being a useful
working instrument is no more than an outward veil to ensure the
diplomatic propriety of the goals pursued by the country-mediators.
Noyan Tapan
http://www.nt.am?shownews=1009565
Nov 7, 2008
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Though many formed an impression that
the joint declaration signed by the Presidents of Russia, Armenia,
and Azerbaijan on November 2 has a formal nature and is deprived of
concrete contents, however, according to first RA President Levon
Ter-Petrosian, people not familiar with the nuances of the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement process can form such a wrong impression. While,
as L. Ter-Petrosian mentioned in his interview to A1+, for experts,
the declaration is, on the contrary, too eloquent, as several concrete
moments and moments of principle are clarifed in it.
According to the first RA President, the document is only the
top of the iceberg, and a much more detailed protocol lays under
it. Presenting the latter's content he said:
"1. The very first point of the declaration contains an alarming
formulation, according to which "the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will
be solved on the basis of principles and norms of international law,
as well as of decisions and documents adopted within the framework of
them." The diplomatic expression regarding "principles and norms of
international law" is not so alarming as the mentioning of "decisions
and documents adopted within the framework of them." By the latters,
no doubt, by Azerbaijan's demand, Resolutions of UN General Assembly N
62/243 and of PACE N 1614 are meant, in which Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity is recognized and unreserved withdrawal of Armenian troops
from Azeri territories bordering upon Nagorno Karabakh is demanded.
2. Moscow declaration's Point 2 unequivocally records that the Madrid
principle of November 29, 2007 of Minsk Group co-chairmanship will
be laid in the basis of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. <...> I
will remind that the idea of Madrid proposal is combination of two
principles of international law, territorial integrity and nations'
self-determination.
3. In fact, a new format of conflict sides is determined in
declaration's preface and Point 4, in which the necessity to solve
the Nagorno Karabakh problem through a direct dialogue proceeding
between Azerbaijan and Armenia is mentioned. Thus, the declaration
finally buries the decision made by the 1994 OSCE Budapest summit,
under which Nagorno Karabakh Republic was recognized as a third
conflict party enjoying full rights. And it means that NKR will have
no role in the further process of negotiations deciding its fate.
4. However, the most important result of Moscow declaration should
be considered the fact that the two conflict parties established by
the new format, Armenia and Azerbaijan, by signing that document,
officially gave a consent to the Madrid proposal, which is an
unprecedented event in the whole process of Nagorno Karabakh
settlement. The point is that the previous three official proposals
of Minsk Group co-chairmanship, "package," "stage-by-stage,"
and "common state" were not unanimously approved by the conflict
sides and therefore were removed from the agenda. The "package" and
"stage-by-stage" variants were rejected by Nagorno Karabakh and the
variant of a "common state" by Azerbaijan. Thus, by the signatures
of Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev under Moscow declaration the start
of Nagorno Karabakh settlement final stage is announced."
In response to the question of whether Russia's initiative does not
contradict the thought expressed in his last speech that it is the West
that will play a decisive part in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, L.
Ter-Petrosian said: "Not at all. Though Moscow meeting is indeed
turning, yet it is only the start of the settlement process. Now
that process continues in Europe and in all probability, will finish
in December in the United States. Thus, though outwardly the honor
of launching the settlement is given to Russia, nevertheless the
prerogative to finish the settlement will belong to the West. Both
Sargsyan and Aliyev took part in Moscow meeting if not forcedly, then
at least with unconcealed reluctance, and all the same, though from
different considerations, after all they will prefer the mediation
of the West."
As regards the necessity to continue the activity of OSCE Minsk
Group, which is mentioned in the declaration, according to
the first RA President, the more the necessity of Minsk Group's
activity is emphasized and the more compliments addressed to it are
lavished, the more the suspicions on disagreements within the group
deepen. L. Ter-Petrosian affirmed that Minsk Group being a useful
working instrument is no more than an outward veil to ensure the
diplomatic propriety of the goals pursued by the country-mediators.