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BAKU HAS LITTLE CHANCE TO PLACE KARABAKH ON UN SECURITY COUNCIL AGENDA
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 3, 2011 - 09:28 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was celebrating
last week his country's historic victory at the United Nations. With
an overwhelming number of votes, Azerbaijan was elected for the first
time to the prestigious UN Security Council for a two-year term,
Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier says in his
column titled "Azerbaijan Wins Security Council Seat, While Armenians
Remain Idle."
"According to knowledgeable sources, Azerbaijan made up for its
deficiencies by offering tour packages and monetary incentives to UN
delegates, and economic inducements to financially strapped nations
in return for their votes at the UN General Assembly which elects
the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council. By hook or by
crook, Azerbaijan acquired the support of Islamic countries, the Arab
League, the Non-Aligned Movement, and CIS (former Soviet) countries,
including Russia. Yet, despite these unusual lobbying tactics, it took
Azerbaijan 17 rounds over a two-day period to garner the necessary
votes, and only after Slovenia, its main rival, withdrew in protest
from the race. Slovenia's Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar complained
that his country "did not approve the way this campaign was held."
Although he did not elaborate, he was referring to Azerbaijan's lavish
gift-giving spree," Sassounian says.
"Naturally, gaining a seat on the powerful UN Security Council
accords Azerbaijan international prestige and a new venue to pursue
its incessant Armenophobic campaigns. Nevertheless, there is little
chance that Azeri officials will be able to succeed in their announced
objective of placing the Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict on the Council's
agenda. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs - France, Russia and the United
States - as three of the five veto-wielding permanent members of
the Security Council, have made it amply clear that this matter will
be handled by the Minsk Group, outside the UN framework. Azerbaijan
could also get entangled in precarious situations, being forced to
take sides when voting on confrontational issues involving Iran,
Israel, and Syria, among others," he says.
"Opponents at home criticized the Armenian government for not declaring
Armenia's candidacy for the Security Council, arguing that this would
have taken away votes from Azerbaijan. Such a strategy, however,
may not have been in Yerevan's best interest, because Armenia could
not compete with Baku's vote-buying spree, and would have drawn votes
away from Slovenia, assuring a bigger victory margin for Azerbaijan,"
the author says.
According to him, Armenian organizations and prominent individuals in
the Diaspora, in consultation with Armenia's Foreign Ministry, should
have launched a global campaign to counter Azerbaijan's candidacy.
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 3, 2011 - 09:28 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was celebrating
last week his country's historic victory at the United Nations. With
an overwhelming number of votes, Azerbaijan was elected for the first
time to the prestigious UN Security Council for a two-year term,
Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier says in his
column titled "Azerbaijan Wins Security Council Seat, While Armenians
Remain Idle."
"According to knowledgeable sources, Azerbaijan made up for its
deficiencies by offering tour packages and monetary incentives to UN
delegates, and economic inducements to financially strapped nations
in return for their votes at the UN General Assembly which elects
the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council. By hook or by
crook, Azerbaijan acquired the support of Islamic countries, the Arab
League, the Non-Aligned Movement, and CIS (former Soviet) countries,
including Russia. Yet, despite these unusual lobbying tactics, it took
Azerbaijan 17 rounds over a two-day period to garner the necessary
votes, and only after Slovenia, its main rival, withdrew in protest
from the race. Slovenia's Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar complained
that his country "did not approve the way this campaign was held."
Although he did not elaborate, he was referring to Azerbaijan's lavish
gift-giving spree," Sassounian says.
"Naturally, gaining a seat on the powerful UN Security Council
accords Azerbaijan international prestige and a new venue to pursue
its incessant Armenophobic campaigns. Nevertheless, there is little
chance that Azeri officials will be able to succeed in their announced
objective of placing the Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict on the Council's
agenda. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs - France, Russia and the United
States - as three of the five veto-wielding permanent members of
the Security Council, have made it amply clear that this matter will
be handled by the Minsk Group, outside the UN framework. Azerbaijan
could also get entangled in precarious situations, being forced to
take sides when voting on confrontational issues involving Iran,
Israel, and Syria, among others," he says.
"Opponents at home criticized the Armenian government for not declaring
Armenia's candidacy for the Security Council, arguing that this would
have taken away votes from Azerbaijan. Such a strategy, however,
may not have been in Yerevan's best interest, because Armenia could
not compete with Baku's vote-buying spree, and would have drawn votes
away from Slovenia, assuring a bigger victory margin for Azerbaijan,"
the author says.
According to him, Armenian organizations and prominent individuals in
the Diaspora, in consultation with Armenia's Foreign Ministry, should
have launched a global campaign to counter Azerbaijan's candidacy.