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OSCE: BUILDING CONFIDENCE IS ONLY WAY OF SUSTAINABLE RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT (INTERVIEW)
Trend
June 13 2012
Azerbaijan
The Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process will be the most important
issue on agenda, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime
Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore said
in an interview with Trend.
"This is always an important topic, and all the more so following
recent reports of a serious escalation in violent incidents," Gilmore
said. "Progress on protracted conflicts was always a high priority
for my Chairmanship, now the urgency is greater."
Gilmore will also discuss with the political leadership co-operation
with the OSCE, in particular the very important work being done by
our Office in Baku.
The OSCE is working with the authorities in many areas, the minister
said.
"The OSCE institutions and our office in Baku continue to support the
implementation of the country's reform programme," Gilmore added. "It
is important for Azerbaijan to match its economic progress over that
last twenty years with further democratic development, in line with
the common principles that the OSCE participating States reaffirmed
two years ago at the Astana Summit."
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the cycle of violence must
stop, the minister said.
"The conflict will not be resolved by the use of force," Gilmore
added. "In my meetings I am calling on all parties and all actors, to
refrain from the use or threat of force and to abstain from retaliatory
measures. As an important step in confidence building and preventing
further casualties, the OSCE has repeatedly called for both sides to
remove snipers from the line of contact and to agree on a mechanism
for investigating incidents on the line of contact."
"It is important that the agreements reached at high political level
are built upon and translated into concrete action," Gilmore stressed.
"Our experience in Ireland is that it takes a combination of steps
in many different areas to make real progress. It is hard and takes
leadership and courage from all sides," Gilmore said.
"Building confidence and trust is the only way to have a sustainable
resolution of the conflict. This takes time and requires efforts
by all sides," Gilmore added. "A successful process needs to be
inclusive. There needs to be increased people-to-people contacts
and clear efforts to preserve places of worship, cultural sites, and
cemeteries. There needs to be increased dialogue and communication
between the political leadership from all sides."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Chairmanship in OSCE
At their annual meeting in Vilnius last year, the foreign ministers
of the 56 OSCE participating States decided that the OSCE is
well-placed to address transnational threats, as it deals with
politico-military approach to security questions, alongside the human
and economic-environmental dimensions, Gilmore added.
"As a first step, the Organization grouped its existing expertise
and resources in the areas of policing, border management and
counter-terrorism, and created a new department that is focused on
transnational threats," Gilmore said. "Work is being taken forward
this year by OSCE participating States, under the Irish Chairmanship,
in a number of important areas, such as policing, drugs and terrorism.
I hope that all OSCE participating States will display the necessary
flexibility so that this work, which is well advanced, will bear
fruit."
Trend
June 13 2012
Azerbaijan
The Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process will be the most important
issue on agenda, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime
Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore said
in an interview with Trend.
"This is always an important topic, and all the more so following
recent reports of a serious escalation in violent incidents," Gilmore
said. "Progress on protracted conflicts was always a high priority
for my Chairmanship, now the urgency is greater."
Gilmore will also discuss with the political leadership co-operation
with the OSCE, in particular the very important work being done by
our Office in Baku.
The OSCE is working with the authorities in many areas, the minister
said.
"The OSCE institutions and our office in Baku continue to support the
implementation of the country's reform programme," Gilmore added. "It
is important for Azerbaijan to match its economic progress over that
last twenty years with further democratic development, in line with
the common principles that the OSCE participating States reaffirmed
two years ago at the Astana Summit."
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the cycle of violence must
stop, the minister said.
"The conflict will not be resolved by the use of force," Gilmore
added. "In my meetings I am calling on all parties and all actors, to
refrain from the use or threat of force and to abstain from retaliatory
measures. As an important step in confidence building and preventing
further casualties, the OSCE has repeatedly called for both sides to
remove snipers from the line of contact and to agree on a mechanism
for investigating incidents on the line of contact."
"It is important that the agreements reached at high political level
are built upon and translated into concrete action," Gilmore stressed.
"Our experience in Ireland is that it takes a combination of steps
in many different areas to make real progress. It is hard and takes
leadership and courage from all sides," Gilmore said.
"Building confidence and trust is the only way to have a sustainable
resolution of the conflict. This takes time and requires efforts
by all sides," Gilmore added. "A successful process needs to be
inclusive. There needs to be increased people-to-people contacts
and clear efforts to preserve places of worship, cultural sites, and
cemeteries. There needs to be increased dialogue and communication
between the political leadership from all sides."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Chairmanship in OSCE
At their annual meeting in Vilnius last year, the foreign ministers
of the 56 OSCE participating States decided that the OSCE is
well-placed to address transnational threats, as it deals with
politico-military approach to security questions, alongside the human
and economic-environmental dimensions, Gilmore added.
"As a first step, the Organization grouped its existing expertise
and resources in the areas of policing, border management and
counter-terrorism, and created a new department that is focused on
transnational threats," Gilmore said. "Work is being taken forward
this year by OSCE participating States, under the Irish Chairmanship,
in a number of important areas, such as policing, drugs and terrorism.
I hope that all OSCE participating States will display the necessary
flexibility so that this work, which is well advanced, will bear
fruit."