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HOW ENDED URUGUAY WRAPPED IN A DIPLOMATIC CONFLICT IN THE CAUCASUS
Natalio Cosoy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2012/11/121117_uruguay_nagorno_karabaj_armenia_azerbaiyan_ nc.shtml
BBC News
1 h 25 min ago
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A soldier in Nagorno Karabakh points his gun towards the border with
Azerbaijan. (Photo by October 25, 2012.)
The region is in a state of high tension.
How did Uruguay involved in a diplomatic row with the largest
exrepública Soviet Caucasus, Azerbaijan, more than 13,000 kilometers
from Montevideo?
It all started with the visit of a delegation of parliamentarians
Uruguayan Armenia, who on 13 and 14 November and crossed into
Azerbaijan joined the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which
live just under 150,000 people of Armenian origin, and met with
local authorities.
Related Content
* The statue Azeri causing controversy in Mexico * NATO concerned
about Azerbaijan's decision to pardon a military * Armenia says it
is ready for war with Azerbaijan
Upon learning of the visit, Azerbaijan, which considers the territory
of Nagorno Karabakh as their own, sent a formal complaint to the
Uruguayan foreign ministry in which he requested to investigate
what had happened. The note claimed that the visit was made without
permission of the Azerbaijani government, which was illegal, and
that could affect the negotiations and the peace process between that
country and Nagorno Karabakh.
Nagorny Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan fears beliefs-that Uruguay
could become the first country to recognize the de facto state.
APA News Agency (Azerbaijan Press Agency, a private news distribution
Caucasus) published a part of the South American country's response
to the complaint of Azerbaijan, where we read that the "principal
Uruguay government's desire not is simply to make efforts to resolve
the conflict. "He adds that the behavior or Uruguayan positions
"should not be interpreted outside that framework."
THE ROLE OF THE DIASPORA
The origin of the conflict
Map of Nagorno Karabakh in the region
In 1991, after the breakup of the Soviet Union and in the midst of an
armed conflict between Nagorno Karabakh Armenian minority (backed by
Armenia) and Azerbaijan, the mountainous region declared independence
unilaterally. That war, which began in 1988 and lasted until 1994,
was one of the bloodiest conflicts fired after the breakup of the
Soviet bloc.Tens of thousands of people were killed and nearly one
million forced to flee their homes. Some 800,000 Azeris left Karabakh,
while around 300,000 Armenians living in the north of Azerbaijan,
took refuge in Armenia. Though 20 years ago that Karabakh declared
independence, the status of the region has not been solved yet, since
no nation the world has given recognition. far, the international
community has given almost entirely to Azerbiayan reason. Armenia not
even recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state, not least
because it could cause a problem for Russia, which is its ally but
also has ties with Azerbaijan. The only state institution that has
been recognized Karabakh, this year, Parliament of Australia's largest
state, New South Wales. Azerbaijan considers Karabakh part of their
historic territories. And although there is an economic element in
the dispute, yes there is a cultural component. Some of the main
Azerbaijani cultural and artistic figures come from the region,
so we feel that this is one of the cradles of culture. But Armenia
and ethnic Armenians living in Karabakh say that people have a right
to self-determination .international mediation attempts led by the
U.S., France and Russia have failed to give a definitive resolution
to the conflict.
One element that holds the hope that Uruguay recognize Karabakh
independence is the fact that in 1965 Uruguay was the first country
in the world to say that the mass killings of Armenians carried out
by the Ottoman Empire during the period of the World War I had been
a genocide.
Uruguay also was the first Latin American nation to recognize the
State of Israel in 1948. And in 2011 recognized the existence of a
Palestinian state.
To all this must be added the role of the Armenian diaspora in Uruguay,
comprised of descendants of immigrants who arrived in the 1920s,
fleeing the slaughter that the Ottoman Empire now Turkey, carried
out against the Armenians of the region in early twentieth century.
This community is small (less than 16,000 people), but it has weight
in a country with more than 3.3 million inhabitants. "Many descendants
of Armenians in Uruguay occupy important positions in different areas
of society, from politics to sports, from business to media," he told
the BBC Felipe Arocena, Professor of Sociology at the University of
the Republic of Uruguay .
Arocena added that his country is "very sensitive to the opinion of
the Armenian diaspora." Certainly from the Armenian community defend
their right to lobby the Government to have policies such as supporting
the cause of Nagorno Karabakh.
"What is the problem?" He told the BBC Dr Gustavo Zulaiman, president
of the Armenian General Benevolent Union of Uruguay.
"The lobbies exist at all, "he said. "We are Armenians in Uruguay,
but Uruguay are also, and it is obvious that one has interference in
the countries where they live."
"Do not make Azerbaijan lobby elsewhere? Such is the political game
these days, "he said.
In late July of this year President of Uruguay Jose Mujica and Foreign
Minister Luis Almagro had met with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan,
Elmar Mammadyarov, who was touring South America. They talked of
trading links and Chancellor invited Mujica to know his country.
ClickRead also: "The statue Azeri causing controversy in Mexico"
"SUPPORTERS OF THE ARMENIAN CAUSE"
In September 2011, Foreign Minister Almagro had said: "We are extremely
sympathetic to the Armenian cause." Also had assured: "Nagorny Karabakh
understand that is closely linked to Armenia". And finally, that "its
ties with Armenia in the future is the best way to Nagorno Karabakh."
The case Safarov
Ramil Safarov
In 2004 the Azeri Ramil Safarov military killed a man hacked Armenian
in Hungary, for a language course sponsored by the Organization of
the North Atlantic Treaty. was in prison in the European country
until the end of August 2012, when he was extradited to Azerbaijan,
which was expected to finish his sentence to life imprisonment. But
instead he was pardoned, promoted and given an apartment to live.That
led to the Armenian Parliament formally suspended ties with his
Hungarian counterpart. was a blow to the Azeri position against the
international community and the Armenians want to take this situation.
* NATO concerned about Azerbaijan's decision to pardon a military
BBC tried unsuccessfully to contact Almagro or other senior officials
of the Foreign Ministry to ask if Uruguay had intentions effectively
recognize the independence of the breakaway region.
For now, a member of the Uruguayan delegation that visited Karabakh
Huelmo Ruben Martinez said it is "theoretically" possible, but must
advance step by step.
ANOTHER MOLEHILL
If Uruguay were to take this decisive step, would add a grain of sand
to a mountain of conflicting elements.
Specialized analysts in the region say the area is in a high stress
situation, revived by the recent case of Azeri life sentence for
killing an Armenian in Hungary, who was pardoned after being extradited
to Azerbaijan (see box) .
In this context, recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh
by Uruguay feed suspicions in a delicate situation.
However, experts believe it would not get upset the delicate regional
balance. There is too much at stake, and a new armed conflict could
spread to other countries in the region and engage Azeri oil (whose
economy is heavily dependent on oil) and transport infrastructure
in the area, including routes that take on supplies forces of the
United States and the Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty
in Afghanistan.
Natalio Cosoy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2012/11/121117_uruguay_nagorno_karabaj_armenia_azerbaiyan_ nc.shtml
BBC News
1 h 25 min ago
* Share
* Send this page by e-mail
* Print this article
A soldier in Nagorno Karabakh points his gun towards the border with
Azerbaijan. (Photo by October 25, 2012.)
The region is in a state of high tension.
How did Uruguay involved in a diplomatic row with the largest
exrepública Soviet Caucasus, Azerbaijan, more than 13,000 kilometers
from Montevideo?
It all started with the visit of a delegation of parliamentarians
Uruguayan Armenia, who on 13 and 14 November and crossed into
Azerbaijan joined the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which
live just under 150,000 people of Armenian origin, and met with
local authorities.
Related Content
* The statue Azeri causing controversy in Mexico * NATO concerned
about Azerbaijan's decision to pardon a military * Armenia says it
is ready for war with Azerbaijan
Upon learning of the visit, Azerbaijan, which considers the territory
of Nagorno Karabakh as their own, sent a formal complaint to the
Uruguayan foreign ministry in which he requested to investigate
what had happened. The note claimed that the visit was made without
permission of the Azerbaijani government, which was illegal, and
that could affect the negotiations and the peace process between that
country and Nagorno Karabakh.
Nagorny Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan fears beliefs-that Uruguay
could become the first country to recognize the de facto state.
APA News Agency (Azerbaijan Press Agency, a private news distribution
Caucasus) published a part of the South American country's response
to the complaint of Azerbaijan, where we read that the "principal
Uruguay government's desire not is simply to make efforts to resolve
the conflict. "He adds that the behavior or Uruguayan positions
"should not be interpreted outside that framework."
THE ROLE OF THE DIASPORA
The origin of the conflict
Map of Nagorno Karabakh in the region
In 1991, after the breakup of the Soviet Union and in the midst of an
armed conflict between Nagorno Karabakh Armenian minority (backed by
Armenia) and Azerbaijan, the mountainous region declared independence
unilaterally. That war, which began in 1988 and lasted until 1994,
was one of the bloodiest conflicts fired after the breakup of the
Soviet bloc.Tens of thousands of people were killed and nearly one
million forced to flee their homes. Some 800,000 Azeris left Karabakh,
while around 300,000 Armenians living in the north of Azerbaijan,
took refuge in Armenia. Though 20 years ago that Karabakh declared
independence, the status of the region has not been solved yet, since
no nation the world has given recognition. far, the international
community has given almost entirely to Azerbiayan reason. Armenia not
even recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state, not least
because it could cause a problem for Russia, which is its ally but
also has ties with Azerbaijan. The only state institution that has
been recognized Karabakh, this year, Parliament of Australia's largest
state, New South Wales. Azerbaijan considers Karabakh part of their
historic territories. And although there is an economic element in
the dispute, yes there is a cultural component. Some of the main
Azerbaijani cultural and artistic figures come from the region,
so we feel that this is one of the cradles of culture. But Armenia
and ethnic Armenians living in Karabakh say that people have a right
to self-determination .international mediation attempts led by the
U.S., France and Russia have failed to give a definitive resolution
to the conflict.
One element that holds the hope that Uruguay recognize Karabakh
independence is the fact that in 1965 Uruguay was the first country
in the world to say that the mass killings of Armenians carried out
by the Ottoman Empire during the period of the World War I had been
a genocide.
Uruguay also was the first Latin American nation to recognize the
State of Israel in 1948. And in 2011 recognized the existence of a
Palestinian state.
To all this must be added the role of the Armenian diaspora in Uruguay,
comprised of descendants of immigrants who arrived in the 1920s,
fleeing the slaughter that the Ottoman Empire now Turkey, carried
out against the Armenians of the region in early twentieth century.
This community is small (less than 16,000 people), but it has weight
in a country with more than 3.3 million inhabitants. "Many descendants
of Armenians in Uruguay occupy important positions in different areas
of society, from politics to sports, from business to media," he told
the BBC Felipe Arocena, Professor of Sociology at the University of
the Republic of Uruguay .
Arocena added that his country is "very sensitive to the opinion of
the Armenian diaspora." Certainly from the Armenian community defend
their right to lobby the Government to have policies such as supporting
the cause of Nagorno Karabakh.
"What is the problem?" He told the BBC Dr Gustavo Zulaiman, president
of the Armenian General Benevolent Union of Uruguay.
"The lobbies exist at all, "he said. "We are Armenians in Uruguay,
but Uruguay are also, and it is obvious that one has interference in
the countries where they live."
"Do not make Azerbaijan lobby elsewhere? Such is the political game
these days, "he said.
In late July of this year President of Uruguay Jose Mujica and Foreign
Minister Luis Almagro had met with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan,
Elmar Mammadyarov, who was touring South America. They talked of
trading links and Chancellor invited Mujica to know his country.
ClickRead also: "The statue Azeri causing controversy in Mexico"
"SUPPORTERS OF THE ARMENIAN CAUSE"
In September 2011, Foreign Minister Almagro had said: "We are extremely
sympathetic to the Armenian cause." Also had assured: "Nagorny Karabakh
understand that is closely linked to Armenia". And finally, that "its
ties with Armenia in the future is the best way to Nagorno Karabakh."
The case Safarov
Ramil Safarov
In 2004 the Azeri Ramil Safarov military killed a man hacked Armenian
in Hungary, for a language course sponsored by the Organization of
the North Atlantic Treaty. was in prison in the European country
until the end of August 2012, when he was extradited to Azerbaijan,
which was expected to finish his sentence to life imprisonment. But
instead he was pardoned, promoted and given an apartment to live.That
led to the Armenian Parliament formally suspended ties with his
Hungarian counterpart. was a blow to the Azeri position against the
international community and the Armenians want to take this situation.
* NATO concerned about Azerbaijan's decision to pardon a military
BBC tried unsuccessfully to contact Almagro or other senior officials
of the Foreign Ministry to ask if Uruguay had intentions effectively
recognize the independence of the breakaway region.
For now, a member of the Uruguayan delegation that visited Karabakh
Huelmo Ruben Martinez said it is "theoretically" possible, but must
advance step by step.
ANOTHER MOLEHILL
If Uruguay were to take this decisive step, would add a grain of sand
to a mountain of conflicting elements.
Specialized analysts in the region say the area is in a high stress
situation, revived by the recent case of Azeri life sentence for
killing an Armenian in Hungary, who was pardoned after being extradited
to Azerbaijan (see box) .
In this context, recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh
by Uruguay feed suspicions in a delicate situation.
However, experts believe it would not get upset the delicate regional
balance. There is too much at stake, and a new armed conflict could
spread to other countries in the region and engage Azeri oil (whose
economy is heavily dependent on oil) and transport infrastructure
in the area, including routes that take on supplies forces of the
United States and the Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty
in Afghanistan.