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ARMENIA IS UNANIMOUS WITH THE CO-CHAIR COUNTRIES IN ACHIEVING A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT
http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/12/07/armenia-is-unanimous-with-the-co-chair-countries-in-achieving-a-peaceful-settlement-of-the-karabakh-conflict/
15:19 07.12.2012
Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward Nalbandian at the 19th Meeting of the
OSCE Ministerial Council
Mr. Chairman,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to convey my gratitude to the Chairman-in-Office,
Eamon Gilmore and his team for the significant contribution to the
activities of the Organization throughout the year, as well as to
commend the Irish Government for the warm hospitality and excellent
organization of this Ministerial meeting.
Thanks to the efforts of the Irish Chairmanship and the constructive
stance of many delegations a number of important initiatives have
been introduced.
I would like especially to mention the Irish Chairmanship's "Helsinki +
40" initiative which is aimed at the realization of a vision of free,
democratic, common and indivisible security community envisaged in
the Astana Commemorative Declaration.
Mr. Chairman,
In the political-military dimension of our cooperation confidence
and security building measures as well as arms control remain key
priorities for the OSCE. We welcome the proposal of Vienna Document
Plus Decision on Prior Notification of Major Military Activities and
further modernization of this document.
We welcomed the priority of the Irish Chairmanship on Good Governance.
It is our priority as well. In cooperation with the OSCE Office in
Yerevan the Government of Armenia has been implementing a project
aimed at promotion of good governance through the rapid regulatory
simplification mechanism, also known as a "regulatory guillotine".
Together with other measures undertaken by our government, it has
had a positive impact: according to the World Bank rating on "Doing
Business", Armenia has significantly improved its position by rising
from 50th to the 32nd place.
Mr. Chairman,
The Government of Armenia is implementing a wide package of reforms to
further consolidate the democratic institutions, strengthen the rule
of law, protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms,
improve electoral procedures and relevant legislation, strengthen
independent judicial system and expand the role of civil society.
Armenian Parliamentary elections of May 2012 were assessed by ODIHR
to be in compliance with OSCE commitments, and other international
standards for democratic elections. Armenia continues to cooperate
with ODIHR to implement recommendations of its elections' observation
mission. We are determined to capitalize on this achievement to
hold the Presidential elections of 2013 in line with the highest
democratic standards.
Mr. Chairman,
Strengthening efforts to combat racism and xenophobia remains high on
the agenda of OSCE. Many international organizations on human rights
alerted about flagrant cases of racism, intolerance and violations of
human rights in Azerbaijan, on the policy of hatred against Armenians.
Azerbaijan is not only ignoring the expectations of the international
community, but is constantly making new steps going against the values
of civilized world. The latest such case is the Azeri government's
release and glorification of the murderer Safarov, who had slaughtered
with an axe Armenian officer in his sleep, during a NATO program in
Budapest simply because he was Armenian. The Azerbaijani leadership
made him a symbol of national pride and an example to follow by youth.
The world reaction was unanimous in condemning what was done by Baku,
which has seriously undermined the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation
process and endangered the fragile regional stability.
Azerbaijan poses a threat to the security of the region by constantly
menacing to use force against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia along with
daily war-mongering, by rejecting the proposals on the consolidation
of the ceasefire, by systematic provocations and ceasefire violations,
by ceaseless acts of vandalism towards the Armenian historical and
cultural heritage.
Azerbaijani authorities are notorious for violations of fundamental
freedoms in their own country, and are now trying to spread this
behavior onto others. Their approach is - if a state is not recognized,
then the people living there should be deprived of the human rights
and fundamental freedoms. According to this logic, the people in the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic should not exercise the right to freedom
of movement, be cured, get education, use drinking water and even
give birth.
Armenia highly appreciates the efforts of the heads of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair states, aimed at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Latest statement adopted in Los Cabos in June of this year by
Presidents Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama and Francois Hollande, is the
fourth one made by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries
on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It is clear to whom they address the
main messages. Armenia is unanimous with the Co-Chair countries in
achieving exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict. As the
Co-Chair countries, we have many times urged to respect the ceasefire
agreement of May 1994 and to abstain from hostile rhetoric, which
fosters feelings of enmity and increases tension.
As the United States, Russia and France, we also regret that in
spite of the call in the joint statement of Deauville of May 2011
breakthrough was not achieved at the Kazan Summit in June 2011,
and it was because of the non-constructive position of Azerbaijan.
Despite the intensive efforts of the three Co-Chair countries
during the last 4 years: 15 summits, several dozens of meetings on
ministerial level, several dozens of visits of the three Co-Chairs
to the region, it has been impossible to reach a breakthrough in the
conflict resolution, because the Azerbaijani side rejected one after
another all proposals presented by the mediators.
Mr. Chairman,
While Armenia values the three Co-Chairs' efforts for the continuation
of the negotiating process and preservation of peace, we witness
continuous Azerbaijani campaign against the Minsk Group Co-Chairs
which have the mandate of OSCE as the only negotiating format for
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Azerbaijani
officials are trying to take the negotiation process out of this
format, to replace the mediators, to denigrate Co-Chairs' efforts to
find a negotiated solution.
The Azerbaijani side is also continuously assaulting the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, in spite of his and
his team's efforts to not allow the escalation of the situation on
the ground.
It has become habitual for Azerbaijan to backtrack even on agreements
to which it had previously consented to. Despite the agreement on
the creation of a mechanism to investigate the ceasefire violations,
as you know, Azerbaijan did everything to prevent its creation,
even threatening to veto the entire OSCE budget.
This was the case again after the Sochi Summit of January of this
year. Despite the reached agreement to accelerate accord on the Basic
Principles for a Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, confirmed
by Los Cabos Statement, Azerbaijan by its maximalist approaches is
seeking one sided advantage in the negotiating process and is doing
everything possible to neglect, even to reject this agreement.
Regardless of Azerbaijan's destructive stance, Armenia will continue
its efforts towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
exclusively through peaceful means and on the basis of the purposes,
principles and norms reflected in the UN Charter and the provisions
of L'Aquila, Muskoka, Deauville and Los Cabos statements of the three
Co-Chair countries' Presidents.
Mr. Chairman,
To conclude, I would like to congratulate Mongolia for its accession
to the OSCE and express Armenia's support to the incoming Ukrainian
Chairmanship. Thank you.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/12/07/armenia-is-unanimous-with-the-co-chair-countries-in-achieving-a-peaceful-settlement-of-the-karabakh-conflict/
15:19 07.12.2012
Statement by H.E. Mr. Edward Nalbandian at the 19th Meeting of the
OSCE Ministerial Council
Mr. Chairman,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to convey my gratitude to the Chairman-in-Office,
Eamon Gilmore and his team for the significant contribution to the
activities of the Organization throughout the year, as well as to
commend the Irish Government for the warm hospitality and excellent
organization of this Ministerial meeting.
Thanks to the efforts of the Irish Chairmanship and the constructive
stance of many delegations a number of important initiatives have
been introduced.
I would like especially to mention the Irish Chairmanship's "Helsinki +
40" initiative which is aimed at the realization of a vision of free,
democratic, common and indivisible security community envisaged in
the Astana Commemorative Declaration.
Mr. Chairman,
In the political-military dimension of our cooperation confidence
and security building measures as well as arms control remain key
priorities for the OSCE. We welcome the proposal of Vienna Document
Plus Decision on Prior Notification of Major Military Activities and
further modernization of this document.
We welcomed the priority of the Irish Chairmanship on Good Governance.
It is our priority as well. In cooperation with the OSCE Office in
Yerevan the Government of Armenia has been implementing a project
aimed at promotion of good governance through the rapid regulatory
simplification mechanism, also known as a "regulatory guillotine".
Together with other measures undertaken by our government, it has
had a positive impact: according to the World Bank rating on "Doing
Business", Armenia has significantly improved its position by rising
from 50th to the 32nd place.
Mr. Chairman,
The Government of Armenia is implementing a wide package of reforms to
further consolidate the democratic institutions, strengthen the rule
of law, protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms,
improve electoral procedures and relevant legislation, strengthen
independent judicial system and expand the role of civil society.
Armenian Parliamentary elections of May 2012 were assessed by ODIHR
to be in compliance with OSCE commitments, and other international
standards for democratic elections. Armenia continues to cooperate
with ODIHR to implement recommendations of its elections' observation
mission. We are determined to capitalize on this achievement to
hold the Presidential elections of 2013 in line with the highest
democratic standards.
Mr. Chairman,
Strengthening efforts to combat racism and xenophobia remains high on
the agenda of OSCE. Many international organizations on human rights
alerted about flagrant cases of racism, intolerance and violations of
human rights in Azerbaijan, on the policy of hatred against Armenians.
Azerbaijan is not only ignoring the expectations of the international
community, but is constantly making new steps going against the values
of civilized world. The latest such case is the Azeri government's
release and glorification of the murderer Safarov, who had slaughtered
with an axe Armenian officer in his sleep, during a NATO program in
Budapest simply because he was Armenian. The Azerbaijani leadership
made him a symbol of national pride and an example to follow by youth.
The world reaction was unanimous in condemning what was done by Baku,
which has seriously undermined the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation
process and endangered the fragile regional stability.
Azerbaijan poses a threat to the security of the region by constantly
menacing to use force against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia along with
daily war-mongering, by rejecting the proposals on the consolidation
of the ceasefire, by systematic provocations and ceasefire violations,
by ceaseless acts of vandalism towards the Armenian historical and
cultural heritage.
Azerbaijani authorities are notorious for violations of fundamental
freedoms in their own country, and are now trying to spread this
behavior onto others. Their approach is - if a state is not recognized,
then the people living there should be deprived of the human rights
and fundamental freedoms. According to this logic, the people in the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic should not exercise the right to freedom
of movement, be cured, get education, use drinking water and even
give birth.
Armenia highly appreciates the efforts of the heads of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair states, aimed at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Latest statement adopted in Los Cabos in June of this year by
Presidents Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama and Francois Hollande, is the
fourth one made by the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries
on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It is clear to whom they address the
main messages. Armenia is unanimous with the Co-Chair countries in
achieving exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict. As the
Co-Chair countries, we have many times urged to respect the ceasefire
agreement of May 1994 and to abstain from hostile rhetoric, which
fosters feelings of enmity and increases tension.
As the United States, Russia and France, we also regret that in
spite of the call in the joint statement of Deauville of May 2011
breakthrough was not achieved at the Kazan Summit in June 2011,
and it was because of the non-constructive position of Azerbaijan.
Despite the intensive efforts of the three Co-Chair countries
during the last 4 years: 15 summits, several dozens of meetings on
ministerial level, several dozens of visits of the three Co-Chairs
to the region, it has been impossible to reach a breakthrough in the
conflict resolution, because the Azerbaijani side rejected one after
another all proposals presented by the mediators.
Mr. Chairman,
While Armenia values the three Co-Chairs' efforts for the continuation
of the negotiating process and preservation of peace, we witness
continuous Azerbaijani campaign against the Minsk Group Co-Chairs
which have the mandate of OSCE as the only negotiating format for
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Azerbaijani
officials are trying to take the negotiation process out of this
format, to replace the mediators, to denigrate Co-Chairs' efforts to
find a negotiated solution.
The Azerbaijani side is also continuously assaulting the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, in spite of his and
his team's efforts to not allow the escalation of the situation on
the ground.
It has become habitual for Azerbaijan to backtrack even on agreements
to which it had previously consented to. Despite the agreement on
the creation of a mechanism to investigate the ceasefire violations,
as you know, Azerbaijan did everything to prevent its creation,
even threatening to veto the entire OSCE budget.
This was the case again after the Sochi Summit of January of this
year. Despite the reached agreement to accelerate accord on the Basic
Principles for a Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, confirmed
by Los Cabos Statement, Azerbaijan by its maximalist approaches is
seeking one sided advantage in the negotiating process and is doing
everything possible to neglect, even to reject this agreement.
Regardless of Azerbaijan's destructive stance, Armenia will continue
its efforts towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
exclusively through peaceful means and on the basis of the purposes,
principles and norms reflected in the UN Charter and the provisions
of L'Aquila, Muskoka, Deauville and Los Cabos statements of the three
Co-Chair countries' Presidents.
Mr. Chairman,
To conclude, I would like to congratulate Mongolia for its accession
to the OSCE and express Armenia's support to the incoming Ukrainian
Chairmanship. Thank you.