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NEW POSITION AT UN?: AZERBAIJAN SEEKING INCREASED ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL ARENA
Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow
www.wikipedia.org
26.07.11
Against the backdrop of the active efforts directed at the Karabakh
issue settlement in the nearest future, Azerbaijan has switched to a
more active policy in an attempt to strengthen its positions in the
international arena.
This is the perspective from which official Baku's intentions to
become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
for the years of 2012-2013 should be viewed; Baku is running as part
of the Eastern European group. The elections will be held in autumn.
As Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated recently,
Azerbaijan counts on Russia's support. He also pointed out that he
had discussed the issue with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov
and that Moscow's support is of great importance to Azerbaijan.
The UN Security Council has five permanent members - Russia, the USA,
China, France, Great Britain, and ten non-permanent members, elected
for a two-year term.
"I do not want to rush the events and start speaking now about
Azerbaijan's actions if it becomes a non-permanent member of the UN
Security Council. All I can say at this moment is that Azerbaijan has
a clear vision of the issues as well as a distinct program in case it
does become a Security Council member," said Azerbaijan's permanent
representative to the UN, envoy Agshin Mehdiyev.
"One of the priority directions of the permanent representation in
the UN is, doubtlessly, the work on the most important to the country
issue - the Karabakh conflict," stressed Mehdiyev.
It is noteworthy, that the UN recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity within its Soviet borders. That's the reason Baku is now
trying to establish closer connections with that structure.
"Our position is that the more major international structures are
informed on this issue and are involved within their capacities and
authority in this conflict settlement, the better," he said.
There are currently three countries from the Eastern-European group
competing for UN SC non-permanent membership. Besides Azerbaijan, the
other two are Hungary and Slovenia. Quite recently it has become known
that Armenia, which was intending to run for that position earlier,
has refused to run.
Civilitas Foundation expert Tatul Hakobyan says that "Armenia's
foreign political mistake is that it has given up on the fight: it
should have competed to win the position for which Azerbaijan and two
of European Council member-countries are fighting today. They should
have kept fighting not only to become a member, but also to prevent
Azerbaijan from potentially becoming one."
The expert believes that if Armenia and Azerbaijan competed for UN
Security Council non-permanent membership, the election of either of
them would be highly unlikely. And Yerevan should have made use of
that chance.
"As strategic structures, Russia and Armenia usually support each
other in international structures. Now that Armenia has withdrawn
from the election Russia will face no complications in giving its
vote to Azerbaijan. Armenia's refusal has untied Russia's hands and
allows it to vote the way it wants," says Hakobyan.
The political analyst believes that a similar situation might come
up with Arab countries.
"In the vast majority of cases Arab and Muslim countries, dictated by
the sense of religious solidarity, vote in favor of Azerbaijan; there
are countries among them, however, which, in the past, deviated from
that course when the choice was between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But
today, when Armenia is not competing for the UN position, Lebanon,
Syria or Egypt, just like in the case with Russia, will have no reason
for hesitation. They can vote for Azerbaijan with no worries," he says.
In this situation, it will be much harder for Armenia to try to
persuade Russia, Lebanon, Syria or any other friendly country to vote
against Azerbaijan; and Armenia is not really entitled to try do that
now either. At the same time, Azerbaijan's election is fraught with
a stronger international pressure on Armenia.
The UN Security Council has the authority to "investigate any dispute
or a situation that might lead to international friction or cause
a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuation of the
conflict or situation threatens international peace and security".
The Council is empowered to decide what measures are to be taken in
situations involving "threats to peace, breaches of peace or acts
of aggression".
The Council also has the right to impose sanctions on states breaching
international peace and security, and "enforce its decisions militarily
or by any necessary means".
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow
www.wikipedia.org
26.07.11
Against the backdrop of the active efforts directed at the Karabakh
issue settlement in the nearest future, Azerbaijan has switched to a
more active policy in an attempt to strengthen its positions in the
international arena.
This is the perspective from which official Baku's intentions to
become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
for the years of 2012-2013 should be viewed; Baku is running as part
of the Eastern European group. The elections will be held in autumn.
As Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated recently,
Azerbaijan counts on Russia's support. He also pointed out that he
had discussed the issue with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov
and that Moscow's support is of great importance to Azerbaijan.
The UN Security Council has five permanent members - Russia, the USA,
China, France, Great Britain, and ten non-permanent members, elected
for a two-year term.
"I do not want to rush the events and start speaking now about
Azerbaijan's actions if it becomes a non-permanent member of the UN
Security Council. All I can say at this moment is that Azerbaijan has
a clear vision of the issues as well as a distinct program in case it
does become a Security Council member," said Azerbaijan's permanent
representative to the UN, envoy Agshin Mehdiyev.
"One of the priority directions of the permanent representation in
the UN is, doubtlessly, the work on the most important to the country
issue - the Karabakh conflict," stressed Mehdiyev.
It is noteworthy, that the UN recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity within its Soviet borders. That's the reason Baku is now
trying to establish closer connections with that structure.
"Our position is that the more major international structures are
informed on this issue and are involved within their capacities and
authority in this conflict settlement, the better," he said.
There are currently three countries from the Eastern-European group
competing for UN SC non-permanent membership. Besides Azerbaijan, the
other two are Hungary and Slovenia. Quite recently it has become known
that Armenia, which was intending to run for that position earlier,
has refused to run.
Civilitas Foundation expert Tatul Hakobyan says that "Armenia's
foreign political mistake is that it has given up on the fight: it
should have competed to win the position for which Azerbaijan and two
of European Council member-countries are fighting today. They should
have kept fighting not only to become a member, but also to prevent
Azerbaijan from potentially becoming one."
The expert believes that if Armenia and Azerbaijan competed for UN
Security Council non-permanent membership, the election of either of
them would be highly unlikely. And Yerevan should have made use of
that chance.
"As strategic structures, Russia and Armenia usually support each
other in international structures. Now that Armenia has withdrawn
from the election Russia will face no complications in giving its
vote to Azerbaijan. Armenia's refusal has untied Russia's hands and
allows it to vote the way it wants," says Hakobyan.
The political analyst believes that a similar situation might come
up with Arab countries.
"In the vast majority of cases Arab and Muslim countries, dictated by
the sense of religious solidarity, vote in favor of Azerbaijan; there
are countries among them, however, which, in the past, deviated from
that course when the choice was between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But
today, when Armenia is not competing for the UN position, Lebanon,
Syria or Egypt, just like in the case with Russia, will have no reason
for hesitation. They can vote for Azerbaijan with no worries," he says.
In this situation, it will be much harder for Armenia to try to
persuade Russia, Lebanon, Syria or any other friendly country to vote
against Azerbaijan; and Armenia is not really entitled to try do that
now either. At the same time, Azerbaijan's election is fraught with
a stronger international pressure on Armenia.
The UN Security Council has the authority to "investigate any dispute
or a situation that might lead to international friction or cause
a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuation of the
conflict or situation threatens international peace and security".
The Council is empowered to decide what measures are to be taken in
situations involving "threats to peace, breaches of peace or acts
of aggression".
The Council also has the right to impose sanctions on states breaching
international peace and security, and "enforce its decisions militarily
or by any necessary means".
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress