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FRANCE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE AZERBAIJAN'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER NAGORNO KARABAKH
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
http://www.huliq.com/1/france-does-not-recognize-azerbaijans-sovereignty-over-nagorno-karabakh-823
Aug 23, 2011
The Foreign Ministry of France issued a strongly worded response to
the diplomatic note, presented by the embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris
over the French Deputies' visit to Nagorno Karabakh, making it clear
France does not view Nagorno Karabakh's future status within the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Nagorno Karabakh, struggling for its freedom and independence, is
a majority Armenian populated de facto independent republic with
20 years of history of functioning democratic institutions. Europe,
probable interested to better understand this functioning democracy,
and understanding the inevitability of establishing relations and OSCE
having an office there one day, from time to time sees parliamentarians
and officials visiting non-officially to Karabakh.
Each time a foreign dignitary visits Karabakh, Azerbaijan is
distressed. It feels that Karabakh belongs to it and foreigners should
ask Azerbaijan for permission to visit Karabakh. This year Karabakh
will celebrate it's 20th anniversary of independence.
Yesterday members of French Parliament visited Nagorno Karabakh and
said it has the right to become the next Kosovo - making a reference
to Kosovo's international recognition. The French MPs' delegation
headed by Guy Teissier, chairman of the French National Assembly's
committee on national defense, met on Monday with Nagorno-Karabakh
parliamentarians, RFE/RL reported. "Why would we keep silent and not
say that people very deeply rooted in this land have the right to
live here?" said Teissier.
The French parliamentarians were received by the president of Nagorno
Karabakh Mr. Bako Sahakyan and issues related to the current state
of bilateral relations and prospects of their development were
discussed at the meeting. President Sahakyan considered important
the role of France in maintaining peace and stability in the region,
rating high its activities as the co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk
Group. In the context of developing bilateral relations Bako Sahakyan
considered important expand parliamentary ties, underlining special
interest of Artsakh in this sphere. Both sides stressed the need of
further deepening of cooperation and elaborating concrete plans in
this direction.
As a response the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris presented a note
protesting the French Foreign Ministry in connection with the French
MPs' visit to Nagorno Karabakh Republic. "In our note, we noted that
this step does not improve bilateral relations with Paris and damages
the efforts of France, as the OSCE Minsk chair country, to settle
the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this regard,
we expect the French Foreign Ministry to officially respond to the
note and the French Foreign Ministry spokesman will voice Paris's
position at a briefing, as previously," Azerbaijani Ambassador to
France Elchin Amirbekov told Trend News Agency.
French Foreign Ministry did not delay its response.
In a written statement, published on Foreign Ministry's website,
it reads that France has "duly advised" its parliamentarians about
France's position with respect to Nagorno Karabakh. While the statement
says France, like Armenia, does not recognize "the territory's"
independence, it goes on to stress that the future legal status of
Nagorno Karabakh "can only be determined" by a mutual consensus.
"This territory's international legal status can only be determined
within the framework of a peaceful and equitable solution agreed upon
by all parties concerned. France co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group,
together with the United States and Russia, and as such was tasked
with helping to find a compromise based on the Helsinki Final Act
and the proposals put forward by the French, American and Russian
presidents on numerous occasions, notably during the G8 Summits in
L'Aquila in 2009 and Muskoka in 2010."
Note that the French statement does not say anything about Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity and its sovereignty over Karabakh.
Instead it used the phrase "this territory" and stresses that the
future legal status is not what only Azerbaijan wants, but rather it
will be a result of "peaceful and equitable solution agreed upon by
all parties concerned."
This is one of the first times when a European institution sends
out such a strongly worded message to Azerbaijan basically saying
Karabakh's isolation will not lead to the conflict's resolution
and will not lead to anything good. This has been the position of
Armenia as well, which has called on the Organization of Security and
Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) to open an office in Nagorno Karabakh's
capital Stepanakert.
OSCE's Minsk Group (France, Russia and USA), which mediates the
conflict between the involved parties, has put forward some basic
principles, which, among other things, call for a referendum to decide
the final legal status of Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan is avoiding
to set a date for this referendum, knowing the Armenian majority will
vote for Nagorno Karabakh's independence.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
http://www.huliq.com/1/france-does-not-recognize-azerbaijans-sovereignty-over-nagorno-karabakh-823
Aug 23, 2011
The Foreign Ministry of France issued a strongly worded response to
the diplomatic note, presented by the embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris
over the French Deputies' visit to Nagorno Karabakh, making it clear
France does not view Nagorno Karabakh's future status within the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Nagorno Karabakh, struggling for its freedom and independence, is
a majority Armenian populated de facto independent republic with
20 years of history of functioning democratic institutions. Europe,
probable interested to better understand this functioning democracy,
and understanding the inevitability of establishing relations and OSCE
having an office there one day, from time to time sees parliamentarians
and officials visiting non-officially to Karabakh.
Each time a foreign dignitary visits Karabakh, Azerbaijan is
distressed. It feels that Karabakh belongs to it and foreigners should
ask Azerbaijan for permission to visit Karabakh. This year Karabakh
will celebrate it's 20th anniversary of independence.
Yesterday members of French Parliament visited Nagorno Karabakh and
said it has the right to become the next Kosovo - making a reference
to Kosovo's international recognition. The French MPs' delegation
headed by Guy Teissier, chairman of the French National Assembly's
committee on national defense, met on Monday with Nagorno-Karabakh
parliamentarians, RFE/RL reported. "Why would we keep silent and not
say that people very deeply rooted in this land have the right to
live here?" said Teissier.
The French parliamentarians were received by the president of Nagorno
Karabakh Mr. Bako Sahakyan and issues related to the current state
of bilateral relations and prospects of their development were
discussed at the meeting. President Sahakyan considered important
the role of France in maintaining peace and stability in the region,
rating high its activities as the co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk
Group. In the context of developing bilateral relations Bako Sahakyan
considered important expand parliamentary ties, underlining special
interest of Artsakh in this sphere. Both sides stressed the need of
further deepening of cooperation and elaborating concrete plans in
this direction.
As a response the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris presented a note
protesting the French Foreign Ministry in connection with the French
MPs' visit to Nagorno Karabakh Republic. "In our note, we noted that
this step does not improve bilateral relations with Paris and damages
the efforts of France, as the OSCE Minsk chair country, to settle
the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this regard,
we expect the French Foreign Ministry to officially respond to the
note and the French Foreign Ministry spokesman will voice Paris's
position at a briefing, as previously," Azerbaijani Ambassador to
France Elchin Amirbekov told Trend News Agency.
French Foreign Ministry did not delay its response.
In a written statement, published on Foreign Ministry's website,
it reads that France has "duly advised" its parliamentarians about
France's position with respect to Nagorno Karabakh. While the statement
says France, like Armenia, does not recognize "the territory's"
independence, it goes on to stress that the future legal status of
Nagorno Karabakh "can only be determined" by a mutual consensus.
"This territory's international legal status can only be determined
within the framework of a peaceful and equitable solution agreed upon
by all parties concerned. France co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group,
together with the United States and Russia, and as such was tasked
with helping to find a compromise based on the Helsinki Final Act
and the proposals put forward by the French, American and Russian
presidents on numerous occasions, notably during the G8 Summits in
L'Aquila in 2009 and Muskoka in 2010."
Note that the French statement does not say anything about Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity and its sovereignty over Karabakh.
Instead it used the phrase "this territory" and stresses that the
future legal status is not what only Azerbaijan wants, but rather it
will be a result of "peaceful and equitable solution agreed upon by
all parties concerned."
This is one of the first times when a European institution sends
out such a strongly worded message to Azerbaijan basically saying
Karabakh's isolation will not lead to the conflict's resolution
and will not lead to anything good. This has been the position of
Armenia as well, which has called on the Organization of Security and
Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) to open an office in Nagorno Karabakh's
capital Stepanakert.
OSCE's Minsk Group (France, Russia and USA), which mediates the
conflict between the involved parties, has put forward some basic
principles, which, among other things, call for a referendum to decide
the final legal status of Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan is avoiding
to set a date for this referendum, knowing the Armenian majority will
vote for Nagorno Karabakh's independence.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress