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Azeri presenter accuses OSCE's "Christian" mediators of pro-Armenian bias
ANS TV, Baku,
14 Nov 04
An Azerbaijani TV presenter has accused of bias the OSCE's mediatory
group, set up to resolve the conflict over the disputed territory of
Nagornyy Karabakh. Presenting ANS TV's "Otan Hafta" weekly review
programme, Mirsahin Agayev said that the OSCE Minsk Group is taking
Armenia's side in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, as it is
composed of Christian states. The following is an excerpt from the
report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 14 November; subheadings
inserted editorially:
[Presenter Mirsahin] Yasir Arafat has died. There is a big vacuum in
the Middle East following his death. Arafat seems to be a man who can
influence developments even in his absence. [Passage omitted: details
of Arafat's death].
Azerbaijan has also appealed to the UN, which stood in silent tribute
to Arafat. However, it would be naive to suppose that it will stand
again on this issue. Somebody has to die for this purpose. But there
is no death so far. There is still a cease-fire.
Minsk Group as spring-board for diplomats
[Presenter, over video of Karabakh, UN General Assembly session and
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen's meeting] Azerbaijan has moved an
initiative to table its main problem, the situation around the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, at the 59th session of the UN General
Assembly and this initiative has caused naturally Armenia's and,
unnaturally, the OSCE Minsk Group's concern. The Minsk Group should
have seen the impetus of the direct or indirect involvement of almost
all the world's countries in the resolution of the problem and should,
maybe really should, have grasped the chance to speed up a solution to
the issue to which it has been a hostage for more than 10 years. But
it failed to see and grasp this. Let us investigate the factors that
provoke these strange conditions and the co-chairmen's concern. First
of all, the Minsk Group tackles the Nagornyy Karabakh issue as a
hobby. In fact, this group provides a useful opportunity for several
countries to have their representatives undergo diplomatic
courses. The representatives of the countries, which are the co-chairs
of the Minsk Group, learn diplomacy on us, under the pretext of
tackling the Karabakh problem, and gain an opportunity to make tourist
trips not only to two cities in the Caucasus, but also to dozens of
other big cities in the world. For example, after several years of
visits and meetings it becomes known that Kazimirov [former Minsk
Group co-chairman from Russia] is sent to some country as an
ambassador. So are other co-chairmen. Therefore, it almost seems that
it is not beneficial at all for the organizers of the Minsk Group, who
have set up an unnatural infrastructure for 10 years and lived well on
it, to resolve the Karabakh issue. In order not to be accused of
subjectivity let us refer to quotes and recall the following:
[Late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, 1993-2003, captioned, shown
speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] It has been 14-15 years
since the Nagornyy Karabakh problem surfaced, while it has been 10
years since the establishment of the OSCE Minsk Group. The USA, France
and Russia became co-chairs in the group in 1997. A long time has
passed since then, but there is no result yet.
[Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, captioned, shown speaking] The
activity of the Minsk Group has been unsuccessful and has given no
result for these 10 years. I don't want to look into the reasons; we
all know them. But this is a fact.
OSCE "closer" to Armenia
[Presenter, over video of scenes, presumably in Karabakh] We hear
these statements nearly every day, conclude submissively every time
that there is no alternative to the Minsk Group, which was assigned
the task of solving the conflict, wait for the old 31 December and in
our new year congratulations hope that all our refugees will celebrate
the next new year on their own land. And our wish comes true, because
for 10 years refugee children have been celebrating their holidays on
the land where they were born: in Baku, Barda and Bilasuvar. The
Minsk Group co-chairmen tirelessly keep saying that the Azerbaijani
and Armenian presidents should solve the issue themselves. Thus,
Azerbaijan and Armenia expects the Minsk Group to solve the problem,
while the Minsk Group co-chairmen expect the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents to do so. And the circle closes. It opens and closes.
We have said that the initiative to discuss the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict at the level of the UN General Assembly irritates the Minsk
Group co-chairmen, as well as Armenia. But, on the other hand, we have
always felt that the co-chairmen are closer to Armenia than to
Azerbaijan. It has always been felt both in their uncertain stances on
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and in their consistent and
insistent efforts to tout Nagornyy Karabakh as a party to the
negotiations.
UN resolutions "old"
Russian co-chairman Yuriy Merzlyakov's stance on the UN's still
unenforced resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenia's armed
formations from the occupied lands [of Azerbaijan] may be described as
the group's way of approaching the problem. Let us recall that
notorious statement issued in Baku.
[Merzlyakov, Russian co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group, captioned, shown
speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] The UN Security Council
adopting resolutions doesn't mean their enforcement. Recall how many
resolutions the UN passed on the Middle East and Cyprus. Have all of
them been enforced?
[Presenter, over video of Armenian President Kocharyan and Karabakh
separatist leader Gukasyan speaking] A similar statement was made by
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the head of the separatist
Nagornyy Karabakh regime, Arkadiy Gukasyan. They also said that the UN
resolutions, which were issued 10 years ago, are old now. Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan's visit to Moscow this week was worth
mentioning for two interesting points. We could also say for
separatist meetings. For example, Oskanyan addresses a meeting of the
foreign ministers of the member countries of the CIS Collective
Security Treaty and criticizes Baku's UN initiative and the CIS states
that support it. And this is after he asked for the deadline
postponing a meeting with the Azerbaijani foreign minister to be
extended. And these accusations are made not in the CIS, which
Azerbaijan is a member to, but in front of members of the CIS
Collective Security Treaty, which Azerbaijan is not a party to. In
fact, Armenia addresses its military allies. The Armenian minister's
meeting with the Minsk Group co-chairman in Moscow, Yuriy Merzlyakov,
could probably be taken as normal. But the minister usually meets the
French co-chairman sitting in Paris there, too. We found out from the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that the Minsk Group co-chairmen are not
expected to meet our officials in the same format soon. So, it means
that Oskanyan's Moscow meetings are separatist.
Minsk Group co-chairmen "bestowed" on Armenia
The Minsk Group co-chairmen have been bestowed on Armenia by God, to
be exact by Holy Jesus. Also because all the co-chairs are Christian
states. The prospect of discussing the Nagornyy Karabakh issue at the
UN General Assembly presents a chance for other Muslim countries to be
involved in the issue. Of course, it is talk, too. It is not action
either. Every day lost in these talks postpones the restoration of
Azerbaijan's authority over Nagornyy Karabakh. And the most horrible
thing has already happened. It is very hard to admit that a
considerable part of society has already got used to Azerbaijan
without Karabakh. Even people's diplomats negotiate with
representatives not from Armenia, but from separatist Nagornyy
Karabakh and dare to publicly announce that they are doing so in order
to erase the enemy stereotypes from memory. We, Azerbaijanis, who like
to talk about being a man turn out to have egg on our faces. Armenian
Ruben Abramyan [a participant in an international conference on
cooperation in energy and transportation in Baku] is already in the
capital of a state [part of which] he has occupied and is talking
about some energy. Maybe, it is better. Azerbaijan should have thought
over its energy problem long ago. These people don't have a gun
capable of shooting a man. It is dark.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
ANS TV, Baku,
14 Nov 04
An Azerbaijani TV presenter has accused of bias the OSCE's mediatory
group, set up to resolve the conflict over the disputed territory of
Nagornyy Karabakh. Presenting ANS TV's "Otan Hafta" weekly review
programme, Mirsahin Agayev said that the OSCE Minsk Group is taking
Armenia's side in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, as it is
composed of Christian states. The following is an excerpt from the
report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 14 November; subheadings
inserted editorially:
[Presenter Mirsahin] Yasir Arafat has died. There is a big vacuum in
the Middle East following his death. Arafat seems to be a man who can
influence developments even in his absence. [Passage omitted: details
of Arafat's death].
Azerbaijan has also appealed to the UN, which stood in silent tribute
to Arafat. However, it would be naive to suppose that it will stand
again on this issue. Somebody has to die for this purpose. But there
is no death so far. There is still a cease-fire.
Minsk Group as spring-board for diplomats
[Presenter, over video of Karabakh, UN General Assembly session and
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen's meeting] Azerbaijan has moved an
initiative to table its main problem, the situation around the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, at the 59th session of the UN General
Assembly and this initiative has caused naturally Armenia's and,
unnaturally, the OSCE Minsk Group's concern. The Minsk Group should
have seen the impetus of the direct or indirect involvement of almost
all the world's countries in the resolution of the problem and should,
maybe really should, have grasped the chance to speed up a solution to
the issue to which it has been a hostage for more than 10 years. But
it failed to see and grasp this. Let us investigate the factors that
provoke these strange conditions and the co-chairmen's concern. First
of all, the Minsk Group tackles the Nagornyy Karabakh issue as a
hobby. In fact, this group provides a useful opportunity for several
countries to have their representatives undergo diplomatic
courses. The representatives of the countries, which are the co-chairs
of the Minsk Group, learn diplomacy on us, under the pretext of
tackling the Karabakh problem, and gain an opportunity to make tourist
trips not only to two cities in the Caucasus, but also to dozens of
other big cities in the world. For example, after several years of
visits and meetings it becomes known that Kazimirov [former Minsk
Group co-chairman from Russia] is sent to some country as an
ambassador. So are other co-chairmen. Therefore, it almost seems that
it is not beneficial at all for the organizers of the Minsk Group, who
have set up an unnatural infrastructure for 10 years and lived well on
it, to resolve the Karabakh issue. In order not to be accused of
subjectivity let us refer to quotes and recall the following:
[Late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, 1993-2003, captioned, shown
speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] It has been 14-15 years
since the Nagornyy Karabakh problem surfaced, while it has been 10
years since the establishment of the OSCE Minsk Group. The USA, France
and Russia became co-chairs in the group in 1997. A long time has
passed since then, but there is no result yet.
[Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, captioned, shown speaking] The
activity of the Minsk Group has been unsuccessful and has given no
result for these 10 years. I don't want to look into the reasons; we
all know them. But this is a fact.
OSCE "closer" to Armenia
[Presenter, over video of scenes, presumably in Karabakh] We hear
these statements nearly every day, conclude submissively every time
that there is no alternative to the Minsk Group, which was assigned
the task of solving the conflict, wait for the old 31 December and in
our new year congratulations hope that all our refugees will celebrate
the next new year on their own land. And our wish comes true, because
for 10 years refugee children have been celebrating their holidays on
the land where they were born: in Baku, Barda and Bilasuvar. The
Minsk Group co-chairmen tirelessly keep saying that the Azerbaijani
and Armenian presidents should solve the issue themselves. Thus,
Azerbaijan and Armenia expects the Minsk Group to solve the problem,
while the Minsk Group co-chairmen expect the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents to do so. And the circle closes. It opens and closes.
We have said that the initiative to discuss the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict at the level of the UN General Assembly irritates the Minsk
Group co-chairmen, as well as Armenia. But, on the other hand, we have
always felt that the co-chairmen are closer to Armenia than to
Azerbaijan. It has always been felt both in their uncertain stances on
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and in their consistent and
insistent efforts to tout Nagornyy Karabakh as a party to the
negotiations.
UN resolutions "old"
Russian co-chairman Yuriy Merzlyakov's stance on the UN's still
unenforced resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenia's armed
formations from the occupied lands [of Azerbaijan] may be described as
the group's way of approaching the problem. Let us recall that
notorious statement issued in Baku.
[Merzlyakov, Russian co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group, captioned, shown
speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] The UN Security Council
adopting resolutions doesn't mean their enforcement. Recall how many
resolutions the UN passed on the Middle East and Cyprus. Have all of
them been enforced?
[Presenter, over video of Armenian President Kocharyan and Karabakh
separatist leader Gukasyan speaking] A similar statement was made by
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the head of the separatist
Nagornyy Karabakh regime, Arkadiy Gukasyan. They also said that the UN
resolutions, which were issued 10 years ago, are old now. Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan's visit to Moscow this week was worth
mentioning for two interesting points. We could also say for
separatist meetings. For example, Oskanyan addresses a meeting of the
foreign ministers of the member countries of the CIS Collective
Security Treaty and criticizes Baku's UN initiative and the CIS states
that support it. And this is after he asked for the deadline
postponing a meeting with the Azerbaijani foreign minister to be
extended. And these accusations are made not in the CIS, which
Azerbaijan is a member to, but in front of members of the CIS
Collective Security Treaty, which Azerbaijan is not a party to. In
fact, Armenia addresses its military allies. The Armenian minister's
meeting with the Minsk Group co-chairman in Moscow, Yuriy Merzlyakov,
could probably be taken as normal. But the minister usually meets the
French co-chairman sitting in Paris there, too. We found out from the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that the Minsk Group co-chairmen are not
expected to meet our officials in the same format soon. So, it means
that Oskanyan's Moscow meetings are separatist.
Minsk Group co-chairmen "bestowed" on Armenia
The Minsk Group co-chairmen have been bestowed on Armenia by God, to
be exact by Holy Jesus. Also because all the co-chairs are Christian
states. The prospect of discussing the Nagornyy Karabakh issue at the
UN General Assembly presents a chance for other Muslim countries to be
involved in the issue. Of course, it is talk, too. It is not action
either. Every day lost in these talks postpones the restoration of
Azerbaijan's authority over Nagornyy Karabakh. And the most horrible
thing has already happened. It is very hard to admit that a
considerable part of society has already got used to Azerbaijan
without Karabakh. Even people's diplomats negotiate with
representatives not from Armenia, but from separatist Nagornyy
Karabakh and dare to publicly announce that they are doing so in order
to erase the enemy stereotypes from memory. We, Azerbaijanis, who like
to talk about being a man turn out to have egg on our faces. Armenian
Ruben Abramyan [a participant in an international conference on
cooperation in energy and transportation in Baku] is already in the
capital of a state [part of which] he has occupied and is talking
about some energy. Maybe, it is better. Azerbaijan should have thought
over its energy problem long ago. These people don't have a gun
capable of shooting a man. It is dark.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress