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>From The Hague To Kosovo, From Kosovo To Karabakh: Leaders In Stepanakert Talk About Need For International Recognition
Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
NKR President Bako Sahakyan at a press conference in Stepanakert,
July 23, 2010
An all-national rally was to have been held in Karabakh on July 23,
the day after the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ)
in the Hague upheld the legitimacy of the Serbian breakaway region of
Kosovo's proclamation of independence. People were about to pour into
the streets, a large group of journalists from Yerevan had arrived
in Stepanakert. But the rally was canceled with explanation.
Instead, the heads of the three factions in the Karabakh parliament and
the NKR president held press conferences in Stepanakert. The country's
leadership said the ICJ judgment on the legality of the secession
of Kosovo will be a milestone in the struggle for the recognition
of Karabakh's independence. But the political forces said Karabakh
is not going to apply to the court for the recognition of its right
to self-determination - in Karabakh they think that they have already
exercised this right, which they had earned through suffering, and what
remains to do is to get the recognition of the country's independence.
The UN court decision was hailed by the United States and the European
Union. Russia pronounced against it. Still, almost none seemed to be
contesting the validity of the decision, but were simply saying that
it could open a Pandora box for unrecognized countries. On July 22,
U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, answering the question
whether the decision of the Hague court could be applied to other
similar cases and lead to nationalist movements in the rest of Europe,
said: "I'll be brief, no."
"One can single out the fair arguments made by the Russian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, which stated that the International Court of Justice
had failed to consider the question of the legality of a unilateral
declaration of independence by Kosovo, had failed to address the
possible consequences of such a self-proclamation and the international
court has not said whether Kosovo is a state or not," said head of
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press service Elhan Polukhov.
Nevertheless, during the Friday press conference, NKR President
Bako Sahakyan said that regardless of the recognition of Kosovo,
Karabakh will continue its efforts for international recognition of
its independence.
He stressed that over the past years the position of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has not changed: the independence and
security of Karabakh aren't negotiable. "We consider the independence
of Karabakh not within the borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh
autonomous region," he said.
The President also said that the recognition of Karabakh by Armenia
is not an end in itself.
The head of the Homeland parliamentary faction Arthur Tovmasyan
believes that Armenia's parliament may take the decision of the court
as a basis for starting the process of recognizing NKR.
Stepanakert holds that the format of the current internationally
mediated negotiations with Azerbaijan should be changed and Karabakh
should join them as a full party. Vahram Atanesyan, a member of
the Democracy faction in the Karabakh parliament, said that from
now Karabakh has got more grounds to insist on its participation in
the talks.
Head of the Dashnaktsutyun faction Armen Sargsyan said: "It is Karabakh
that should be a full party of the talks and Armenia should take
part in the negotiations within a strictly defined legal framework -
as the guarantor of Karabakh's independence and security."
Chairman of the NKR Public Council on Foreign Policy and Security
Masis Mayilyan noted that Armenia has good reason to start talks
with Pristina on the recognition by Yerevan of the independence of
Kosovo and the recognition of NKR's independence by Pristina. "The
restraint shown by Armenia in the matter of recognizing Kosovo during
the past two years has not produced tangible results, while Serbia
has successfully developed its relations with the countries that
were among the first to recognize Kosovo's independence (Turkey,
the United States, the European Union)," said Mayilyan.
Meanwhile, the NKR Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it
said that "the right of the people of Karabakh to have and build
their state, as well as determine their own destiny will undoubtedly
be recognized by the international community, since it was realized
in full accordance with the basic principles of international law
and is hard-won and fair."
From: A. Papazian
Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
NKR President Bako Sahakyan at a press conference in Stepanakert,
July 23, 2010
An all-national rally was to have been held in Karabakh on July 23,
the day after the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ)
in the Hague upheld the legitimacy of the Serbian breakaway region of
Kosovo's proclamation of independence. People were about to pour into
the streets, a large group of journalists from Yerevan had arrived
in Stepanakert. But the rally was canceled with explanation.
Instead, the heads of the three factions in the Karabakh parliament and
the NKR president held press conferences in Stepanakert. The country's
leadership said the ICJ judgment on the legality of the secession
of Kosovo will be a milestone in the struggle for the recognition
of Karabakh's independence. But the political forces said Karabakh
is not going to apply to the court for the recognition of its right
to self-determination - in Karabakh they think that they have already
exercised this right, which they had earned through suffering, and what
remains to do is to get the recognition of the country's independence.
The UN court decision was hailed by the United States and the European
Union. Russia pronounced against it. Still, almost none seemed to be
contesting the validity of the decision, but were simply saying that
it could open a Pandora box for unrecognized countries. On July 22,
U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, answering the question
whether the decision of the Hague court could be applied to other
similar cases and lead to nationalist movements in the rest of Europe,
said: "I'll be brief, no."
"One can single out the fair arguments made by the Russian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, which stated that the International Court of Justice
had failed to consider the question of the legality of a unilateral
declaration of independence by Kosovo, had failed to address the
possible consequences of such a self-proclamation and the international
court has not said whether Kosovo is a state or not," said head of
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press service Elhan Polukhov.
Nevertheless, during the Friday press conference, NKR President
Bako Sahakyan said that regardless of the recognition of Kosovo,
Karabakh will continue its efforts for international recognition of
its independence.
He stressed that over the past years the position of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has not changed: the independence and
security of Karabakh aren't negotiable. "We consider the independence
of Karabakh not within the borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh
autonomous region," he said.
The President also said that the recognition of Karabakh by Armenia
is not an end in itself.
The head of the Homeland parliamentary faction Arthur Tovmasyan
believes that Armenia's parliament may take the decision of the court
as a basis for starting the process of recognizing NKR.
Stepanakert holds that the format of the current internationally
mediated negotiations with Azerbaijan should be changed and Karabakh
should join them as a full party. Vahram Atanesyan, a member of
the Democracy faction in the Karabakh parliament, said that from
now Karabakh has got more grounds to insist on its participation in
the talks.
Head of the Dashnaktsutyun faction Armen Sargsyan said: "It is Karabakh
that should be a full party of the talks and Armenia should take
part in the negotiations within a strictly defined legal framework -
as the guarantor of Karabakh's independence and security."
Chairman of the NKR Public Council on Foreign Policy and Security
Masis Mayilyan noted that Armenia has good reason to start talks
with Pristina on the recognition by Yerevan of the independence of
Kosovo and the recognition of NKR's independence by Pristina. "The
restraint shown by Armenia in the matter of recognizing Kosovo during
the past two years has not produced tangible results, while Serbia
has successfully developed its relations with the countries that
were among the first to recognize Kosovo's independence (Turkey,
the United States, the European Union)," said Mayilyan.
Meanwhile, the NKR Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it
said that "the right of the people of Karabakh to have and build
their state, as well as determine their own destiny will undoubtedly
be recognized by the international community, since it was realized
in full accordance with the basic principles of international law
and is hard-won and fair."
From: A. Papazian