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The address and answers of the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Edward Nalbandian and Luis Almagro, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Uruguay during the joint press conference
http://www.mfa.am/en/interviews/item/2012/05/04/nalbandian_almagro/
04.05.2012
Good afternoon.
I am pleased to welcome my counterpart, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Luis Almagro who is in
Armenian on an official visit.
Armenia and Uruguay are thousands of kilometers away, but Uruguay is
very close and friendly country for Armenia and the Armenian people.
Uruguay is the first country which recognized the Armenian Genocide in
1965 and it's not accidental that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Uruguay started his official visit to Armenia by visiting the Genocide
Memorial. We are very grateful to the people of Uruguay and the
Uruguayan leadership for the opening of their doors and providing
shelters to our compatriots - the survivors of the genocide, and
thousands of Armenians live in Uruguay, for whom Uruguay has become a
second homeland. We have very close and warm relations with Uruguay.
On May 27 of this year we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two
countries. Uruguay is one of the first countries, that recognized our
independent Republic, on December 26 of 1991.
Today we had an opportunity to touch upon a wide range of issues of
bilateral relations, the steps to be undertaken towards the
strengthening of legal framework. We have 8 agreements signed between
the two countries, and the drafts of new agreements were exchanged and
we are going to expand this framework. We talked about the steps to be
undertaken towards the development of trade and economic relations
between the two countries, cultural ties and cooperation in the
spheres of health and tourism. We touched upon regional and
international issues over which we have very close positions. We
agreed upon the more intensification of the cooperation in the
international organizations and holding of consultations between the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.
It is natural that we also touched upon the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. I presented my colleague the recent
developments in the negotiation process. We have similar approach that
the issue should be resolved through peaceful means, based on the
proposals made by the Co-Chairs. We are grateful to the Uruguayan
Minister of Foreign Affairs for his statements on the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
I would like once again to welcome my Uruguayan colleague and pass the
floor to him with great pleasure.
Question: My questions are addressed to both Foreign Ministers.
Minister Nalbandian Azerbaijan assumed the presidency of the Security
Council. Some Azeri analysts do not exclude the possibility that the
resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue might be submitted to the
Security Council. To what extent do you consider it possible?
Edward Nalbandian: Answering the first question about the possibility
that Azerbaijan will try to introduce a resolution at the Security
Council, I would like to say that Azerbaijan may try to do, but we
must be realistic in the sense that the permanent members of the UN
Security Council are co-chairing countries, Russia, the United States
and France, which have repeatedly stated that the format of the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmanship. The Presidents of Russia, the United States and
France made statements in L'Aquila, Muskoka and Deauville, and Armenia
expressed its commitment to move forward towards the settlement
through the negotiations based on those proposals.
Azerbaijan is denying. I don't think that it is realistic; that any
unilateral Azeri initiative would be supported at the Security
Council, especially taking into account that position of the
Co-Chairs.
Question: First my question is addressed to the Armenian Minister of
Foreign Affairs. Minister Nalbandian, in the context of the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, recently Turkey's
Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that it is hard to reach an
agreement with several neighboring countries, sepcifically with
Armenia. Please comment, in reality what kind of problems does
official Yerevan cause in this issue?
And the second question, if it's possible to address the two Foreign
Ministers. Recently there were several cases of violation of the
cease-fire, in particular related to shooting at civilian population.
What is the reaction of the international community to such kind of
phenomena, and Minister Nalbandian, what does Armenian side do to
voice this issue?
Edward Nalbandian: Regarding Davutoglu's statement, I am familiar with
that statement. The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs talks that
Turkey has not good relations with their three neighboring countries.
But I do not think it is so sincere: it is at least twice the number
of countries, i. e. six countries, with which Turkey has not good
relations, with two of which she no relations at all. Davutoglu stated
about Turkey's willingness to have zero problem relations with its
neighbors, but the result was the recent increase of the problems with
those countries. Regarding the difficulties of reaching agreements
with the neighbors about which Mr. Davutoglu mentioned, I would say
that, yes, we know from our experience that it's very difficult to
reach agreements with Turkey. And despite all the difficulties which
the Turkish side was bringing in the course of the negotiations, we
came to an agreement and signed the protocols, for which Turkey
created difficulties not only during the negotiations, but even after
the signing, and continues to create them, rejects to respect, ratify
and implement those agreements. So the comments made by Mr. Davutoglu
are not appropriate.
Edward Nalbandian: (In addition to Luis Almagro's answer) Luis
Almagron's statement is another good example of the international
community's approach. The overwhelming majority of countries, if not
all, have such an approach. Maybe in addition to Azerbaijan, Turkey do
not share that approach. But even that country talked against the use
of force, thus disagreeing with the Azeri approach.
I will recall the approach of the international community at the
highest level, when Presidents Medvedev, Obama and Sarkozy stated that
the use of force created this situation and a new use of force is
unacceptable and would be strongly condemned by the international
community. The message was addressed to Azerbaijan.
The reaction is voiced not only through the statements. During the
negotiations Azerbaijan is seriously warned about such behavior, that
this behavior is unacceptable and can cause serious consequences, and
first of all for Azerbaijan.
Edward Nalbandian and Luis Almagro, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Uruguay during the joint press conference
http://www.mfa.am/en/interviews/item/2012/05/04/nalbandian_almagro/
04.05.2012
Good afternoon.
I am pleased to welcome my counterpart, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Luis Almagro who is in
Armenian on an official visit.
Armenia and Uruguay are thousands of kilometers away, but Uruguay is
very close and friendly country for Armenia and the Armenian people.
Uruguay is the first country which recognized the Armenian Genocide in
1965 and it's not accidental that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Uruguay started his official visit to Armenia by visiting the Genocide
Memorial. We are very grateful to the people of Uruguay and the
Uruguayan leadership for the opening of their doors and providing
shelters to our compatriots - the survivors of the genocide, and
thousands of Armenians live in Uruguay, for whom Uruguay has become a
second homeland. We have very close and warm relations with Uruguay.
On May 27 of this year we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two
countries. Uruguay is one of the first countries, that recognized our
independent Republic, on December 26 of 1991.
Today we had an opportunity to touch upon a wide range of issues of
bilateral relations, the steps to be undertaken towards the
strengthening of legal framework. We have 8 agreements signed between
the two countries, and the drafts of new agreements were exchanged and
we are going to expand this framework. We talked about the steps to be
undertaken towards the development of trade and economic relations
between the two countries, cultural ties and cooperation in the
spheres of health and tourism. We touched upon regional and
international issues over which we have very close positions. We
agreed upon the more intensification of the cooperation in the
international organizations and holding of consultations between the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.
It is natural that we also touched upon the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. I presented my colleague the recent
developments in the negotiation process. We have similar approach that
the issue should be resolved through peaceful means, based on the
proposals made by the Co-Chairs. We are grateful to the Uruguayan
Minister of Foreign Affairs for his statements on the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
I would like once again to welcome my Uruguayan colleague and pass the
floor to him with great pleasure.
Question: My questions are addressed to both Foreign Ministers.
Minister Nalbandian Azerbaijan assumed the presidency of the Security
Council. Some Azeri analysts do not exclude the possibility that the
resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue might be submitted to the
Security Council. To what extent do you consider it possible?
Edward Nalbandian: Answering the first question about the possibility
that Azerbaijan will try to introduce a resolution at the Security
Council, I would like to say that Azerbaijan may try to do, but we
must be realistic in the sense that the permanent members of the UN
Security Council are co-chairing countries, Russia, the United States
and France, which have repeatedly stated that the format of the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmanship. The Presidents of Russia, the United States and
France made statements in L'Aquila, Muskoka and Deauville, and Armenia
expressed its commitment to move forward towards the settlement
through the negotiations based on those proposals.
Azerbaijan is denying. I don't think that it is realistic; that any
unilateral Azeri initiative would be supported at the Security
Council, especially taking into account that position of the
Co-Chairs.
Question: First my question is addressed to the Armenian Minister of
Foreign Affairs. Minister Nalbandian, in the context of the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, recently Turkey's
Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that it is hard to reach an
agreement with several neighboring countries, sepcifically with
Armenia. Please comment, in reality what kind of problems does
official Yerevan cause in this issue?
And the second question, if it's possible to address the two Foreign
Ministers. Recently there were several cases of violation of the
cease-fire, in particular related to shooting at civilian population.
What is the reaction of the international community to such kind of
phenomena, and Minister Nalbandian, what does Armenian side do to
voice this issue?
Edward Nalbandian: Regarding Davutoglu's statement, I am familiar with
that statement. The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs talks that
Turkey has not good relations with their three neighboring countries.
But I do not think it is so sincere: it is at least twice the number
of countries, i. e. six countries, with which Turkey has not good
relations, with two of which she no relations at all. Davutoglu stated
about Turkey's willingness to have zero problem relations with its
neighbors, but the result was the recent increase of the problems with
those countries. Regarding the difficulties of reaching agreements
with the neighbors about which Mr. Davutoglu mentioned, I would say
that, yes, we know from our experience that it's very difficult to
reach agreements with Turkey. And despite all the difficulties which
the Turkish side was bringing in the course of the negotiations, we
came to an agreement and signed the protocols, for which Turkey
created difficulties not only during the negotiations, but even after
the signing, and continues to create them, rejects to respect, ratify
and implement those agreements. So the comments made by Mr. Davutoglu
are not appropriate.
Edward Nalbandian: (In addition to Luis Almagro's answer) Luis
Almagron's statement is another good example of the international
community's approach. The overwhelming majority of countries, if not
all, have such an approach. Maybe in addition to Azerbaijan, Turkey do
not share that approach. But even that country talked against the use
of force, thus disagreeing with the Azeri approach.
I will recall the approach of the international community at the
highest level, when Presidents Medvedev, Obama and Sarkozy stated that
the use of force created this situation and a new use of force is
unacceptable and would be strongly condemned by the international
community. The message was addressed to Azerbaijan.
The reaction is voiced not only through the statements. During the
negotiations Azerbaijan is seriously warned about such behavior, that
this behavior is unacceptable and can cause serious consequences, and
first of all for Azerbaijan.