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MPS DEFY CAUCASUS TRAVEL WARNING
The Australian
Aug 29 2013
by: Mark Coultan, NSW political correspondent
A NSW parliamentary delegation, including a senior government minister,
travelled to a disputed region in the Caucasus in defiance of a strong
travel warning from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The delegation, which included the NSW Minister for Transport, Gladys
Berejiklian, went to the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh last
month, addressed its parliament and had meetings with its president.
Nagorno Karabakh, which has a population of 143,000, is not
internationally recognised as a country and is considered a breakaway
region of Azerbaijan. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union,
it fought a war, backed by Armenia, with Azerbaijan which ended in
an armed truce in 1994.
The delegation's trip followed an extraordinary motion passed
through the NSW upper house which, in effect, recognised Nagorno
Karabakh as a separate country by recognising it had "the right
to self-determination", and calling on Australia to recognise its
independence.
The motion, which received no publicity, was passed without dissent
last October without even the Foreign Minister being aware of it.
It was another foray into international affairs by the NSW upper
house, which offended Turkey in May by passing a motion condemning
the massacre of Armenians and others during and after World War I.
That caused Turkey to threaten to prevent NSW parliamentarians,
including the Premier Barry O'Farrell, from travelling to Gallipoli
for the centenary of Anzac landings in 2015.
Following this, the Armenian National Committee of Australia issued
an invitation to NSW parliamentarians to visit Nagorno Karabakh.
Christian Democrat Fred Nile said MPs had to pay for the trip
themselves, which had reduced the numbers.
The parliamentary delegation was made up of seven MPs led by Liberal
MP Jonathon O'Dea and including Mr Nile, Liberals David Clarke and
Marie Ficarra, and Labor MLCs Shaoquett Moselmane and Amanda Fazio. Ms
Berejiklian, who is of Armenian background, was the only minister on
the trip.
Australia has one of the largest populations of the Armenian diaspora
in the English-speaking world. Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe
Hockey is of Armenian descent.
The DFAT travel warning says: "We strongly advise you not to travel to
the Armenian-occupied enclave of Azerbaijan known as Nagorno-Karabakh
and the military occupied area surrounding it because of the risk of
armed conflict along the border and ceasefire line with Azerbaijan."
Mr Nile said they had not consulted DFAT because "they would have
told us not to go". He acknowledged the delegation could have been
misconstrued as an official Australian delegation.
A spokesman for Bob Carr said Australia did not recognise Nagorno
Karabakh.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/mps-defy-caucasus-travel-warning/story-fn59niix-1226706974097?sv=ba2ebf719db8639814b76f70964ad005
The Australian
Aug 29 2013
by: Mark Coultan, NSW political correspondent
A NSW parliamentary delegation, including a senior government minister,
travelled to a disputed region in the Caucasus in defiance of a strong
travel warning from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The delegation, which included the NSW Minister for Transport, Gladys
Berejiklian, went to the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh last
month, addressed its parliament and had meetings with its president.
Nagorno Karabakh, which has a population of 143,000, is not
internationally recognised as a country and is considered a breakaway
region of Azerbaijan. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union,
it fought a war, backed by Armenia, with Azerbaijan which ended in
an armed truce in 1994.
The delegation's trip followed an extraordinary motion passed
through the NSW upper house which, in effect, recognised Nagorno
Karabakh as a separate country by recognising it had "the right
to self-determination", and calling on Australia to recognise its
independence.
The motion, which received no publicity, was passed without dissent
last October without even the Foreign Minister being aware of it.
It was another foray into international affairs by the NSW upper
house, which offended Turkey in May by passing a motion condemning
the massacre of Armenians and others during and after World War I.
That caused Turkey to threaten to prevent NSW parliamentarians,
including the Premier Barry O'Farrell, from travelling to Gallipoli
for the centenary of Anzac landings in 2015.
Following this, the Armenian National Committee of Australia issued
an invitation to NSW parliamentarians to visit Nagorno Karabakh.
Christian Democrat Fred Nile said MPs had to pay for the trip
themselves, which had reduced the numbers.
The parliamentary delegation was made up of seven MPs led by Liberal
MP Jonathon O'Dea and including Mr Nile, Liberals David Clarke and
Marie Ficarra, and Labor MLCs Shaoquett Moselmane and Amanda Fazio. Ms
Berejiklian, who is of Armenian background, was the only minister on
the trip.
Australia has one of the largest populations of the Armenian diaspora
in the English-speaking world. Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe
Hockey is of Armenian descent.
The DFAT travel warning says: "We strongly advise you not to travel to
the Armenian-occupied enclave of Azerbaijan known as Nagorno-Karabakh
and the military occupied area surrounding it because of the risk of
armed conflict along the border and ceasefire line with Azerbaijan."
Mr Nile said they had not consulted DFAT because "they would have
told us not to go". He acknowledged the delegation could have been
misconstrued as an official Australian delegation.
A spokesman for Bob Carr said Australia did not recognise Nagorno
Karabakh.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/mps-defy-caucasus-travel-warning/story-fn59niix-1226706974097?sv=ba2ebf719db8639814b76f70964ad005