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ANCA Welcomes OSCE PA Rejection of Divisive Azerbaijan Resolution

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  • ANCA Welcomes OSCE PA Rejection of Divisive Azerbaijan Resolution

    Armenian National Committee of America
    888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
    Washington, DC 20006
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: <http://www.anca.org/>www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    July 2, 2005
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    ANCA WELCOMES REJECTION BY OSCE PARLIAMENTARY
    ASSEMBLY OF DIVISIVE NAGORNO KARABAGH RESOLUTION

    -- Meeting in Washington, DC, Parliamentarians
    from 55-Member States Defeat Azerbaijani Effort

    WASHINGTON, DC - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for
    Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), meeting last night in
    Washington, DC, voted overwhelmingly to defeat a controversial
    measure on Nagorno Karabagh authored by Azerbaijani Parliamentarian
    Sattar Safarov, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
    (ANCA).

    The vote took place during a meeting of the OSCE PA's Heads of
    Delegation, as part of the opening session of the four-day meeting
    for members of Parliament from the 55 member states of the OSCE.
    The Safarov resolution, which was widely viewed as a biased and
    divisive measure, received only token support, with nearly all the
    Heads of Delegation voting, by a show of hands, to keep the measure
    off of the OSCE PA agenda.

    The OSCE PA proceedings are being presided over by Congressman
    Alcee Hastings (D-FL), the first U.S. legislator to ever serve in
    this capacity. Other members of Congress participating in the
    Assembly include: Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), who is heading the
    U.S. delegation, Senator George Voinovich (R-OH), and
    Representatives Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD),
    Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY), Robert
    B. Aderholt (R-AL), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA),
    Mike Pence (R-IN), and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

    The Armenian delegation is being headed by Vahan Hovhannisian, the
    Deputy Speaker of Armenia's Parliament. Other members of the
    delegation are Artashes Geghamyan, MP and Samvel Nikoyan, MP. The
    ANCA worked closely with the Armenian delegation and the Armenian
    Embassy in Washington, DC, as well as with Armenian National
    Committee affiliates in Canada and throughout Europe, in sharing
    with OSCE PA members the dangers of the Safarov resolution.

    "We would like to thank Congressman Hastings for his leadership in
    the Assembly's proceedings, and to express our appreciation to all
    those who voted against the Safarov resolution for their
    responsible stewardship of the OSCE's efforts to facilitate a
    negotiated settlement to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict," said Aram
    Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.

    The defeat of the Safarov resolution set the stage for the standard
    consideration by the Assembly of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.
    This discussion is being led by Swedish Member of Parliament Goran
    Lennmarker, who has served since June of 2002 as the OSCE PA
    special representative on this issue. In preparation for the OSCE
    PA meeting, Lennmarker presented a report, entitled "A Golden
    Opportunity: Some Ideas on Nagorno Karabakh Conflict," to the Heads
    of Delegations to the OSCE PA.

    In this report, Lennmarker stressed that there is now a golden
    opportunity, through the OSCE Minsk Peace-process, for a peaceful
    solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, based on a "win-win"
    concept where both Armenia and Azerbaijan come out better. In his
    remarks, Lennmarker noted that "the conflict is not frozen," adding
    that "there is no alternative to a peaceful solution - in fact
    there is an urgent need to solve the conflict in order to end the
    personal, economic, and social suffering on both sides of this
    conflict." He proposed basing a solution on experiences from
    Europe, where democracy and integration are fundamental components
    in securing a lasting peace, and added that strong European and
    international institutions stand ready to support Armenia and
    Azerbaijan.

    In the weeks leading up to the convening of this meeting, the ANCA,
    through grassroots outreach, stressed to the U.S. members of
    Congress serving in the OSCE PA that Armenian Americans attach
    tremendous importance to Nagorno Karabagh's rights to freedom,
    democracy and self-determination. The Armenian American community,
    the ANCA stressed, has invested considerable hope in the OSCE Minsk
    Group process and is firmly opposed to any efforts to derail this
    effort.

    In a June 24th letter sent to Congressman Hastings and to the
    others in the U.S. delegation, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian warned
    of the dangers presented by the Safarov resolution, describing it
    as a "one-sided approach to a complex issue," that "neither fairly
    characterizes the conflict nor presents any practical steps toward
    its resolution. In sum, it is a destructive measure that will, if
    adopted, ultimately threaten the progress of the OSCE Minsk Group
    peace talks." Hachikian specifically called on the U.S. members of
    the Assembly to vote against the Safarov resolution and "to
    strongly oppose any and all efforts to use the Assembly's meeting
    as a forum for one-sided efforts to derail progress toward peace in
    Nagorno Karabagh."

    The OSCE PA is the parliamentary dimension of the Organization for
    Security and Co-operation in Europe, whose 55 participating States
    span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok. The
    primary task of the 317-member Assembly is to facilitate inter-
    parliamentary dialogue, an important aspect of the overall effort
    to meet the challenges of democracy throughout the OSCE area.
    Recognized as a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the
    United Nations Charter, the OSCE is a primary instrument for early
    warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict
    rehabilitation in its area. The Parliamentary Assembly, originally
    established by the 1990 Paris Summit to promote greater involvement
    in the OSCE by national parliaments, has grown into a very active
    and esteemed member of the OSCE family.

    To learn more about the OSCE PA, visit:
    http://www.oscepa.org
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