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EP: Committee on Foreign Affairs voted for an inadequate resolution

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  • EP: Committee on Foreign Affairs voted for an inadequate resolution

    EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION
    for Justice and Democracy
    Avenue de la Renaissance 10
    B-1000 Bruxelles
    Tel/ Fax: +32 2 732 70 27/26
    Website :Eafjd
    email: [email protected]


    EP: THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS VOTED FOR AN INADEQUATE
    RESOLUTION ON SOUTH CAUCASUS

    Brussels, December 18, 2007 - The EP Committee on Foreign Affairs
    adopted a project of resolution on the South Caucasus whose
    rapporteur is Ms Lydie Polfer (Luxemburg, ALDE group, Alliance of
    Liberals and Democrats for Europe). 203 amendments were tabled.

    - Regarding the Karabakh conflict, the resolution `reiterates its
    strong support for the Minsk Group' but `regrets the lack of any
    substantial progress' and calls on the return to their homes of all
    the IDPs'. The Parliament `reiterates its respect and support for
    the territorial integrity and internationally recognised borders of
    Azerbaijan, as well as of Armenia', `notes that the contradiction
    between the principles of self-determination and territorial
    integrity contributes to the perpetuation of the conflicts in the
    South Caucasus region' to call for negotiations on the basis of the
    principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act. The Parliament
    `condemns attempts to misuse the Kosovo issue in such a way as to
    create additional hurdles in the negotiations on the conflicts in the
    South Caucasus'.

    `We expected from this resolution a constructive contribution which
    facilitates the Caucasus' conflicts resolution; instead of this,
    the Committee on Foreign Affairs confuses things and makes the means
    of the settlement incomprehensible. By disqualifying the right to
    self-determination, which stabilizes the `territorial integrity',
    the project of resolution violates article 1 of the Charter of the
    United Nations' explained the Chairperson of the European Armenian
    Federation, Hilda Tchoboian. `It is an unbalanced and unilateral
    attitude that is 10 years late on the acquis of the negotiations. It
    puts the European Parliament out of step with OSCE while this
    organisation, in charge of the Karabakh conflict settlement, is
    entitled to wait for unfailing support from Europe' regretted Hilda
    Tchoboian.

    The Federation reminds the international organisations, the OSCE, the
    European Commission, the European Council, and even the European
    Parliament adopted a long time ago the 2 principles of `territorial
    integrity' and of the `right to self-determination' as bases of
    Karabakh conflict negotiations.

    - Referring to Armenia's efforts, the provisional text "commends
    the internal political and institutional reforms undertaken in the
    context of implementation of the Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan'
    and `encourages the Armenian authorities to continue on this path
    and to make further progress in strengthening democratic
    structures'. The Parliament notes that `the parliamentary
    elections held in May 2007 were largely in accordance with
    international commitments; and expects that the presidential
    elections to be held on 19 February 2008 will be the same.

    - Moreover, the project of resolution `calls on key actors in the
    region to play a constructive role in resolving frozen conflicts in
    the region and to take steps to normalise its relations with
    neighbours'. The Parliament `calls on the Commission and the
    Council to address the opening of the Turkish border with Armenia
    with the framework of accession negotiations'.

    - The text adopted by the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)
    `reiterates its call upon Turkey to engage in serious and intensive
    efforts [¦] including a frank and open discussion on past events'
    and `on Turkish and Armenian Governments to start process of
    reconciliation for the present and the past'.

    « We have to read between the lines to understand the text deals
    with the Armenian genocide, it is amazing to see that for the members
    of the AFET Committee, a genocide deserves only a call for frank and
    open discussion!!! Such phraseology, instead of a call for the
    recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey, inexorably puts the
    European Parliament in a position that it is not hers, i.e. the
    position which consists in submitting to the Turkish authorities
    demands to make the Armenian genocide an absolute taboo in Europe',
    noticed Tchoboian.

    Lastly, the resolution welcomes the Baku-Tbilissi-Kars railway.
    However, the Parliament `stresses that the project bypasses
    existing and fully operative rail lines in Armenia' and depends on
    `short-sighted and politically-motivated policies which violate
    European Neighbourhood Policy principles'.

    `We all know that the European Union refused to participate in the
    railway's financing, precisely because of the objective of both
    Turkey and Azerbaijan to isolate Armenia and to exclude it from the
    regional lines of communication. Thus, it is inopportune to welcome
    this project of exclusion,' declared Hilda Tchoboian.

    In the end, in spite of significant corrections brought by the
    `compromise amendments' to the initial version, the resolution
    adopted on the South Caucasus gives rise to worries in respect of the
    European Union's role in conflict resolution in the region.

    `The EP Committee on Foreign Affairs missed the opportunity to be
    very helpful and to bring a positive contribution, albeit minor `
    taking into consideration its consultative status, to conflict
    resolution in the region, that we deeply deplore. We invite all of
    the MEPs to correct these arbitrary choices during the plenary
    session in January 2008', concluded Hilda Tchoboian.


    You receive this Press Release from :
    European Armenian Federation
    for Justice & Democracy
    Avenue de la Renaissance 10
    Brussels, 1000

    The European Armenian Federation is the biggest and most influential
    Armenian grassroots organisation in Europe

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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