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A GHOST IS WANDERING AT THE OSCE. THE GHOST OF SETTLEMENT
Leonid Martirossian
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=580:a-ghost-is-wandering-at-the-osce-the-ghost-of-settlement&catid=3:all&Itemid=4
Tuesday, 13 March 2012 06:36
Last week, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen issued a statement on the
results of their March 2-6 regional visit to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the information placed at the official
website of the OSCE, the co-chairs presented to the parties a plan for
implementing the provisions of the joint statement of the Presidents
of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia made on January 23 in Sochi.
To briefly describe the main theses of the March statement, they
relate, first, to the measures on assisting the parties to advance
the work on the basic principles of the settlement as a basis for a
future peace agreement, second - to the mechanism of investigating
the incidents at the contact-line, and third - to the humanitarian
issues and human contacts, which should be used to promote mutual
understanding between the peoples of the region.
In fact, all the three provisions of the noted statement are not new
to us. At various times, they were more or less present in the joint
declarations of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, and the mere fact that
these theses are wandering from one statement to another indicates
that everything is not well with their implementation. Although
the mediators, in order to demonstrate the continuous nature of the
negotiations and their effectiveness, try to disguise the stalled
process of settlement by a diplomatic formulation of "to assist the
parties to continue to work on a comprehensive peace agreement,"
it is obvious that this "permanent job" does not give yet the
desired result. We, surely, do not tend to diminish the merits of
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and readily believe that certain
progress takes place in the negotiations, but they are likely to
relate to minor matters, without covering the basic ones. And here
we'll allow ourselves to give the involuntary pun: while discussing
the basic principles of settlement, the parties do not leave their
basic positions.
It is important to note that peacemaking is a collective process,
and all the parties to the conflict should equally participate in it,
especially Nagorno-Karabakh as the main and the most aggrieved party.
But, in fact, we see quite the contrary. For about fifteen years the
NKR has remained outside the current format of negotiations, which
is inherently flawed and cannot lead to success in the peace process.
But, in accordance with the official OSCE documents, as mentioned many
times, Nagorno Karabakh is recognized a party to the conflict and as
a consequence - to the negotiation process. Surely, the international
mediators are well aware of this; otherwise, they would not ever talk
about the need to return Nagorno Karabakh to the negotiating table.
But, the paradox is that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who are
obliged to respect the documents of their own organization, as if
accepted Azerbaijan's opposition to returning the Karabakh party to
the negotiation process, allowing it to ignore the right of the NKR
to participate in the negotiations, at which the issues of just the
NKR and not of Azerbaijan or Armenia should be resolved.
The OSCE mediators call upon the parties to the Karabakh conflict to
display political will for achieving an agreement. I think that they
should address this appeal also to themselves in order not to go, as
now, under the girdle of Azerbaijan, but to force it to start direct
negotiations with the NKR. It is merely absurd that the co-chairs,
with regard to the prospects of Nagorno Karabakh's return to the
negotiation process, note the need of the Azerbaijani party's
consent for this. Indeed, in accordance with international law,
even the recognition of the NKR independence does not require the
consent of Azerbaijan, as it constantly states, because this issue
is not in its competence, of which the Minsk Group co-chairs cannot
be unaware. The Helsinki Final Act of 1975 expressly states that
"all nations always have the right to full freedom to determine,
when and how they wish, their domestic and foreign policy status,
without any outer interference". Or, in any case, the last decision
should be taken by Nagorno-Karabakh and not by Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, the inconsistency and uncertainty of the Minsk Group
co-chairs encourage the already exorbitant appetite of the Azerbaijani
authorities. As a result, the President of Azerbaijan considers himself
the supreme arbiter of Nagorno Karabakh. In his recent interview to
a Turkish newspaper, he stated that he did not mind "Nagorno Karabakh
inhabitants' staying here". That's "generosity in Azerbaijani", which
is, by the way, accompanied by the unbridled armaments race. And he
could deny us the right to live in our historical homeland, especially
considering his recent statement that "first and foremost, our main
enemies are the Armenians worldwide".
But, let's recall the joint statement of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs. Is it possible in such conditions to talk about contacts
between people to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of
the region, if these issues are already politicized by Azerbaijan? We
believe that it isn't accidental that the mediators, taught by bitter
"Azeri" experience, stipulated in their statement the inadmissibility
of politicization of humanitarian issues to the detriment of the peace
process. Is it possible to elaborate a mechanism of investigating
the incidents at the contact-line, if Baku hampers this, because
it does not intend to stop its sniper war? It is obvious that with
such a negotiating partner as the current racist anti-Armenian Baku
regime the hope for a successful settlement is too slim. Apparently,
the mediators will not soon see an agreement on the basic principles,
if they see it at all.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Leonid Martirossian
Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=580:a-ghost-is-wandering-at-the-osce-the-ghost-of-settlement&catid=3:all&Itemid=4
Tuesday, 13 March 2012 06:36
Last week, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen issued a statement on the
results of their March 2-6 regional visit to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the information placed at the official
website of the OSCE, the co-chairs presented to the parties a plan for
implementing the provisions of the joint statement of the Presidents
of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia made on January 23 in Sochi.
To briefly describe the main theses of the March statement, they
relate, first, to the measures on assisting the parties to advance
the work on the basic principles of the settlement as a basis for a
future peace agreement, second - to the mechanism of investigating
the incidents at the contact-line, and third - to the humanitarian
issues and human contacts, which should be used to promote mutual
understanding between the peoples of the region.
In fact, all the three provisions of the noted statement are not new
to us. At various times, they were more or less present in the joint
declarations of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, and the mere fact that
these theses are wandering from one statement to another indicates
that everything is not well with their implementation. Although
the mediators, in order to demonstrate the continuous nature of the
negotiations and their effectiveness, try to disguise the stalled
process of settlement by a diplomatic formulation of "to assist the
parties to continue to work on a comprehensive peace agreement,"
it is obvious that this "permanent job" does not give yet the
desired result. We, surely, do not tend to diminish the merits of
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and readily believe that certain
progress takes place in the negotiations, but they are likely to
relate to minor matters, without covering the basic ones. And here
we'll allow ourselves to give the involuntary pun: while discussing
the basic principles of settlement, the parties do not leave their
basic positions.
It is important to note that peacemaking is a collective process,
and all the parties to the conflict should equally participate in it,
especially Nagorno-Karabakh as the main and the most aggrieved party.
But, in fact, we see quite the contrary. For about fifteen years the
NKR has remained outside the current format of negotiations, which
is inherently flawed and cannot lead to success in the peace process.
But, in accordance with the official OSCE documents, as mentioned many
times, Nagorno Karabakh is recognized a party to the conflict and as
a consequence - to the negotiation process. Surely, the international
mediators are well aware of this; otherwise, they would not ever talk
about the need to return Nagorno Karabakh to the negotiating table.
But, the paradox is that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who are
obliged to respect the documents of their own organization, as if
accepted Azerbaijan's opposition to returning the Karabakh party to
the negotiation process, allowing it to ignore the right of the NKR
to participate in the negotiations, at which the issues of just the
NKR and not of Azerbaijan or Armenia should be resolved.
The OSCE mediators call upon the parties to the Karabakh conflict to
display political will for achieving an agreement. I think that they
should address this appeal also to themselves in order not to go, as
now, under the girdle of Azerbaijan, but to force it to start direct
negotiations with the NKR. It is merely absurd that the co-chairs,
with regard to the prospects of Nagorno Karabakh's return to the
negotiation process, note the need of the Azerbaijani party's
consent for this. Indeed, in accordance with international law,
even the recognition of the NKR independence does not require the
consent of Azerbaijan, as it constantly states, because this issue
is not in its competence, of which the Minsk Group co-chairs cannot
be unaware. The Helsinki Final Act of 1975 expressly states that
"all nations always have the right to full freedom to determine,
when and how they wish, their domestic and foreign policy status,
without any outer interference". Or, in any case, the last decision
should be taken by Nagorno-Karabakh and not by Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, the inconsistency and uncertainty of the Minsk Group
co-chairs encourage the already exorbitant appetite of the Azerbaijani
authorities. As a result, the President of Azerbaijan considers himself
the supreme arbiter of Nagorno Karabakh. In his recent interview to
a Turkish newspaper, he stated that he did not mind "Nagorno Karabakh
inhabitants' staying here". That's "generosity in Azerbaijani", which
is, by the way, accompanied by the unbridled armaments race. And he
could deny us the right to live in our historical homeland, especially
considering his recent statement that "first and foremost, our main
enemies are the Armenians worldwide".
But, let's recall the joint statement of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs. Is it possible in such conditions to talk about contacts
between people to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of
the region, if these issues are already politicized by Azerbaijan? We
believe that it isn't accidental that the mediators, taught by bitter
"Azeri" experience, stipulated in their statement the inadmissibility
of politicization of humanitarian issues to the detriment of the peace
process. Is it possible to elaborate a mechanism of investigating
the incidents at the contact-line, if Baku hampers this, because
it does not intend to stop its sniper war? It is obvious that with
such a negotiating partner as the current racist anti-Armenian Baku
regime the hope for a successful settlement is too slim. Apparently,
the mediators will not soon see an agreement on the basic principles,
if they see it at all.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress