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OSKANIAN: ARMENIANS BELIEVE THERE WILL BE NO NEW WARS IN OUR REGION
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2007 14:39 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Through successive meetings of Presidents and
Foreign Ministers, we have arrived at a working document that can serve
as the basis for a preliminary agreement on Nagorno Karabakh. Today,
we met with the top diplomats of the co-chair countries whose concern
is that we preserve what we have achieved and go further," Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in his speech at the 15th
session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers.
"We understand and appreciate their special attention and their
recognition of the progress made in this process.
"That document addresses the core issue - the security of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh, through self-determination - as well as the
issues of refugees and territories that came about as a result of
that self-determination struggle.
"Unfortunately, outside of the negotiation process, there is another,
contradictory and disheartening reality. First, there are militaristic
calls ringing from the highest levels of Azerbaijan's leadership;
second, Baku's systematic, organized hate propaganda has reached
frightening levels within Azerbaijan.
Third, Azerbaijan's willful obstruction of international envoys
entrusted with monitoring the conflict and the region is threatening to
upset the fine balance that we have sustained, and fourth, their active
and aggressive search for alternative international forums in which
to present their case, rebuffs their responsibility to compromise.
"As hopeful as we are that a negotiated settlement is possible,
this hostile atmosphere concerns us.
Armenians believe there will be no new wars in our region. I know this
because we won't start it, and they know they can't win it. There is
no military solution for this conflict. The only solution is one based
on compromise, and in that sense, this document denies each side their
maximalist desires and focuses instead on a sensible, respectable,
acceptable solution that can be explained to ordinary people.
"And will make it possible for ordinary people to reconnect over
time and across political boundaries in a space split by war and
hatred. For this to happen, the extraordinary people, those endowed
with the power to lead must demonstrate vision and instill trust,
re-create a Caucasus space and contribute to the region's stability
and prosperity.
"In this context and as members of this broad and inclusive European
organization, we look enviously at the countries of Europe, all of
whom, even those who were shaken to the core by the transformation of
the world order, have found ways to place problems onto an agenda,
without allowing those problems to abort the agenda. Perhaps we in
the Caucasus will be next in adopting such European approaches to
regional problems," the Minister said.
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2007 14:39 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Through successive meetings of Presidents and
Foreign Ministers, we have arrived at a working document that can serve
as the basis for a preliminary agreement on Nagorno Karabakh. Today,
we met with the top diplomats of the co-chair countries whose concern
is that we preserve what we have achieved and go further," Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in his speech at the 15th
session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers.
"We understand and appreciate their special attention and their
recognition of the progress made in this process.
"That document addresses the core issue - the security of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh, through self-determination - as well as the
issues of refugees and territories that came about as a result of
that self-determination struggle.
"Unfortunately, outside of the negotiation process, there is another,
contradictory and disheartening reality. First, there are militaristic
calls ringing from the highest levels of Azerbaijan's leadership;
second, Baku's systematic, organized hate propaganda has reached
frightening levels within Azerbaijan.
Third, Azerbaijan's willful obstruction of international envoys
entrusted with monitoring the conflict and the region is threatening to
upset the fine balance that we have sustained, and fourth, their active
and aggressive search for alternative international forums in which
to present their case, rebuffs their responsibility to compromise.
"As hopeful as we are that a negotiated settlement is possible,
this hostile atmosphere concerns us.
Armenians believe there will be no new wars in our region. I know this
because we won't start it, and they know they can't win it. There is
no military solution for this conflict. The only solution is one based
on compromise, and in that sense, this document denies each side their
maximalist desires and focuses instead on a sensible, respectable,
acceptable solution that can be explained to ordinary people.
"And will make it possible for ordinary people to reconnect over
time and across political boundaries in a space split by war and
hatred. For this to happen, the extraordinary people, those endowed
with the power to lead must demonstrate vision and instill trust,
re-create a Caucasus space and contribute to the region's stability
and prosperity.
"In this context and as members of this broad and inclusive European
organization, we look enviously at the countries of Europe, all of
whom, even those who were shaken to the core by the transformation of
the world order, have found ways to place problems onto an agenda,
without allowing those problems to abort the agenda. Perhaps we in
the Caucasus will be next in adopting such European approaches to
regional problems," the Minister said.