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YEREVAN RULES OUT UN ROLE IN KARABAKH TALKS
Astghik Bedevian
Armenialiberty.org
Nov 3 2011
The United Nations will play no major role in international efforts
to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict even after Azerbaijan became a
member of its Security Council, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
said on Thursday.
Nalbandian argued that the United States, Russia and France continue
to share Armenia~Rs view that the OSCE Minsk Group co-headed by them
must remain the key international body mediating Armenian-Azerbaijani
peace talks.
~SThe three co-chair countries and permanent members of the Security
Council -- the United Nations, France and Russia -- have repeatedly
stated that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be solved within the
framework of the Minsk Group and not moved to other structures,~T he
told Armenian lawmakers.
~SSo I think there is no need to get emotional because of statements
coming from Azerbaijan,~T he said during parliamentary discussions
on Armenia~Rs state budget for next year.
Nalbandian referred to Azerbaijani leaders~R reported plans to use
their two-year membership in the Security Council for attaining a
solution to the Karabakh conflict desired by Baku.
Opposition politicians and some analysts in Yerevan have expressed
serious concern over this fact. They have also criticized the Armenian
government for failing to scuttle Azerbaijan~Rs election to the
Security Council last week.
Nalbandian dismissed this reaction as too "emotional." He said Yerevan
is not troubled by the Azerbaijani seat on the council and will carry
on with its Karabakh policy without "nervous convulsions."
Armen Rustamian, the chairman of the parliament committee on foreign
relations and a leader of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, rejected the minister's arguments.
"I absolutely don't share the view that we must not react emotionally
to Azerbaijan's becoming a non-permanent member of the Security
Council," he told journalists. "That is not an adequate response to
the situation."
Rustamian did not challenge Nalbandian when the latter addressed
members of his and other standing committees of the National Assembly,
though.
Capitalizing on strong support from many other Islamic nations,
Azerbaijan already pushed through the UN General Assembly in 2008
a non-binding resolution that demanded an "immediate, complete and
unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces" from occupied Azerbaijani
lands."
The Muslim world's overwhelmingly pro-Azerbaijani stance is a key
reason for Armenia's strong opposition to any UN involvement in the
Karabakh peace process.
Astghik Bedevian
Armenialiberty.org
Nov 3 2011
The United Nations will play no major role in international efforts
to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict even after Azerbaijan became a
member of its Security Council, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
said on Thursday.
Nalbandian argued that the United States, Russia and France continue
to share Armenia~Rs view that the OSCE Minsk Group co-headed by them
must remain the key international body mediating Armenian-Azerbaijani
peace talks.
~SThe three co-chair countries and permanent members of the Security
Council -- the United Nations, France and Russia -- have repeatedly
stated that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be solved within the
framework of the Minsk Group and not moved to other structures,~T he
told Armenian lawmakers.
~SSo I think there is no need to get emotional because of statements
coming from Azerbaijan,~T he said during parliamentary discussions
on Armenia~Rs state budget for next year.
Nalbandian referred to Azerbaijani leaders~R reported plans to use
their two-year membership in the Security Council for attaining a
solution to the Karabakh conflict desired by Baku.
Opposition politicians and some analysts in Yerevan have expressed
serious concern over this fact. They have also criticized the Armenian
government for failing to scuttle Azerbaijan~Rs election to the
Security Council last week.
Nalbandian dismissed this reaction as too "emotional." He said Yerevan
is not troubled by the Azerbaijani seat on the council and will carry
on with its Karabakh policy without "nervous convulsions."
Armen Rustamian, the chairman of the parliament committee on foreign
relations and a leader of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary
Federation, rejected the minister's arguments.
"I absolutely don't share the view that we must not react emotionally
to Azerbaijan's becoming a non-permanent member of the Security
Council," he told journalists. "That is not an adequate response to
the situation."
Rustamian did not challenge Nalbandian when the latter addressed
members of his and other standing committees of the National Assembly,
though.
Capitalizing on strong support from many other Islamic nations,
Azerbaijan already pushed through the UN General Assembly in 2008
a non-binding resolution that demanded an "immediate, complete and
unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces" from occupied Azerbaijani
lands."
The Muslim world's overwhelmingly pro-Azerbaijani stance is a key
reason for Armenia's strong opposition to any UN involvement in the
Karabakh peace process.