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THE MEDIATORS SHOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO OFFER A NEW APPROACH
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/12/08/138772/
DECEMBER 8, 2012 13:13
According to Masis Mayilyan, instead of interpreting the UN Security
Council resolutions with regard to Armenia, Azerbaijan had better
meet the obligations mentioned in the resolutions regarding it.
During a meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers that took
place in Dublin on December 6-7, representatives of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries - Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Russian Federation, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of
State, and Bernard Cazeneuve, the French Junior Minister for Foreign
Affairs, made a joint statement, which read: "We call upon the parties
to demonstrate a greater sense of urgency in the peace process and
to work with the Co-Chairs to give full and careful consideration
to ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during their trip to the region
in November."
Aravot asked Masis Mayilyan, the chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic public council on foreign policy and security and a former
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, what
new ideas they were talking about, whether the Madrid principles
had been revised and there were new or completed proposals on the
negotiating table today. "On the one hand, the text of the statement
testifies to the fact that the mediators haven't given up on the
Madrid principles and their elements completely. On the other hand,
representatives of the Minsk Group co-chair countries called on the
parties to consider the ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during their
trip to the region recently," he noted.
Then our interlocutor added: "It is interesting to know what new
proposals the Co-Chairs presented, in order to be able to understand in
what direction the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are going to continue
their mission. It is obvious that it is impossible to establish
long-lasting peace in the region on the basis of an obsolete approach.
The mediators should have the courage to offer a new approach, taking
into account the current realities of the international law and the
decisions based on precedent, which will impede the possibilities of
solving the conflict militarily."
Elmar Mamedyarov, the Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs,
published an article in The Wall Street Journal the day before the
session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers, claiming that the
Dublin meeting was a peace opportunity, which should be seized. He
reminded about 4 resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council calling
for an immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azerbaijani
territory. "The Armenian military withdrawal must be comprehensive,
and it needs to take place now. Beyond these two conditions, we are
flexible and willing to support any peace process.
We will back it up with a real economic development plan for
Nagorno-Karabakh, including serious investments," Mamedyarov wrote and
added: "We can resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem only if there is
political will on all sides, there is such will in Azerbaijan, and I
suggest we achieve progress in Dublin and draft a comprehensive peace
agreement within a fixed time frame after which the Minsk Group should
agree on a new meeting to be attended by all parties. Dublin is our
peace opportunity and I urge our Armenian counterparts to seize it,
together with us."
In response to a question whether Baku was ready to go for resolution
in the short run or putting forward its well-known preconditions,
it used a tactic of getting desirable concessions from the Armenian
side, Aravot's interlocutor noted that the article published the day
before the meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers took place
in Dublin aimed at showing the "positive" approach and "goodwill" of
the Azerbaijani side to the world. "The fact of the matter is that
there are definitions in the article unacceptable for the Armenian
side accepting and implementing which will lead to losing Artsakh. As
for the famous resolutions of the UN Security Council on the Karabakh
issue, one must say that those are of consultative nature. Instead of
interpreting the resolutions with regard to Armenia, Azerbaijan, being
a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, had better meet
the obligations in the above-mentioned resolutions regarding it," M.
Mayilyan said.
A set of high-ranking officials made statements on the Karabakh
conflict settlement within the framework of the 19th session of the
Council of the OSCE Foreign Ministers. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian
Foreign Minister, stated: "Russia, along with the other OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries, will continue to support harmonizing the
positions of the parties to the Karabakh conflict." Catherine Ashton,
the head of the EU diplomacy, in her turn, stated that the conflicts
that existed between the OSCE member states prevented the region's
economic development. Ashton added that the EU showed necessary
support for resolving those problems. Eamon Gilmore, the current
Chair of the OSCE and the Irish minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade, noted: "The escalation of confrontation
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border since April testifies to the need
for a quick settlement to the Karabakh conflict."
Aravot asked Masis Mayilyan whether one could expect any progress in
the Karabakh conflict settlement after the 2013 presidential election,
after the election processes, whether these were standard statements
again, which aimed at easing possible tension on the contact line
and escalation in hostilities. In our interlocutor's opinion,
after election processes, the mediators and the three conflicting
parties will take new measures to settle the conflict. "Success can be
achieved, if the mediators offer a realistic approach, and the parties
are ready to sign a peace agreement. At this stage, it is important
for the mediators to maintain the fragile peace and work on easing
tensions between the parties. Along with the negotiating process,
Yerevan and Stepanakert should work on the international recognition
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic supported by the Diaspora. The
recognition will offer new opportunities of strengthening the security
of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, will contribute to regional
stability, which is in the interest of not only the Armenian side,
but also different power centers," the former Deputy Foreign Minister
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic stated.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.aravot.am/en/2012/12/08/138772/
DECEMBER 8, 2012 13:13
According to Masis Mayilyan, instead of interpreting the UN Security
Council resolutions with regard to Armenia, Azerbaijan had better
meet the obligations mentioned in the resolutions regarding it.
During a meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers that took
place in Dublin on December 6-7, representatives of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries - Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Russian Federation, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of
State, and Bernard Cazeneuve, the French Junior Minister for Foreign
Affairs, made a joint statement, which read: "We call upon the parties
to demonstrate a greater sense of urgency in the peace process and
to work with the Co-Chairs to give full and careful consideration
to ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during their trip to the region
in November."
Aravot asked Masis Mayilyan, the chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic public council on foreign policy and security and a former
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, what
new ideas they were talking about, whether the Madrid principles
had been revised and there were new or completed proposals on the
negotiating table today. "On the one hand, the text of the statement
testifies to the fact that the mediators haven't given up on the
Madrid principles and their elements completely. On the other hand,
representatives of the Minsk Group co-chair countries called on the
parties to consider the ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during their
trip to the region recently," he noted.
Then our interlocutor added: "It is interesting to know what new
proposals the Co-Chairs presented, in order to be able to understand in
what direction the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are going to continue
their mission. It is obvious that it is impossible to establish
long-lasting peace in the region on the basis of an obsolete approach.
The mediators should have the courage to offer a new approach, taking
into account the current realities of the international law and the
decisions based on precedent, which will impede the possibilities of
solving the conflict militarily."
Elmar Mamedyarov, the Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs,
published an article in The Wall Street Journal the day before the
session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers, claiming that the
Dublin meeting was a peace opportunity, which should be seized. He
reminded about 4 resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council calling
for an immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azerbaijani
territory. "The Armenian military withdrawal must be comprehensive,
and it needs to take place now. Beyond these two conditions, we are
flexible and willing to support any peace process.
We will back it up with a real economic development plan for
Nagorno-Karabakh, including serious investments," Mamedyarov wrote and
added: "We can resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem only if there is
political will on all sides, there is such will in Azerbaijan, and I
suggest we achieve progress in Dublin and draft a comprehensive peace
agreement within a fixed time frame after which the Minsk Group should
agree on a new meeting to be attended by all parties. Dublin is our
peace opportunity and I urge our Armenian counterparts to seize it,
together with us."
In response to a question whether Baku was ready to go for resolution
in the short run or putting forward its well-known preconditions,
it used a tactic of getting desirable concessions from the Armenian
side, Aravot's interlocutor noted that the article published the day
before the meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers took place
in Dublin aimed at showing the "positive" approach and "goodwill" of
the Azerbaijani side to the world. "The fact of the matter is that
there are definitions in the article unacceptable for the Armenian
side accepting and implementing which will lead to losing Artsakh. As
for the famous resolutions of the UN Security Council on the Karabakh
issue, one must say that those are of consultative nature. Instead of
interpreting the resolutions with regard to Armenia, Azerbaijan, being
a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, had better meet
the obligations in the above-mentioned resolutions regarding it," M.
Mayilyan said.
A set of high-ranking officials made statements on the Karabakh
conflict settlement within the framework of the 19th session of the
Council of the OSCE Foreign Ministers. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian
Foreign Minister, stated: "Russia, along with the other OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries, will continue to support harmonizing the
positions of the parties to the Karabakh conflict." Catherine Ashton,
the head of the EU diplomacy, in her turn, stated that the conflicts
that existed between the OSCE member states prevented the region's
economic development. Ashton added that the EU showed necessary
support for resolving those problems. Eamon Gilmore, the current
Chair of the OSCE and the Irish minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade, noted: "The escalation of confrontation
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border since April testifies to the need
for a quick settlement to the Karabakh conflict."
Aravot asked Masis Mayilyan whether one could expect any progress in
the Karabakh conflict settlement after the 2013 presidential election,
after the election processes, whether these were standard statements
again, which aimed at easing possible tension on the contact line
and escalation in hostilities. In our interlocutor's opinion,
after election processes, the mediators and the three conflicting
parties will take new measures to settle the conflict. "Success can be
achieved, if the mediators offer a realistic approach, and the parties
are ready to sign a peace agreement. At this stage, it is important
for the mediators to maintain the fragile peace and work on easing
tensions between the parties. Along with the negotiating process,
Yerevan and Stepanakert should work on the international recognition
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic supported by the Diaspora. The
recognition will offer new opportunities of strengthening the security
of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, will contribute to regional
stability, which is in the interest of not only the Armenian side,
but also different power centers," the former Deputy Foreign Minister
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic stated.
EMMA GABRIELYAN
From: Baghdasarian