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Mediamax, Armenia
June 22 2010
EU envoy condemns recent Karabakh clash - Armenian report
The EU envoy for the South Caucasus has condemned a recent armed clash
near Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy Karabakh region between Armenian
and Azerbaijani troops, calling it "clearly unacceptable". In an
interview with the Armenian news agency Mediamax, Peter Semneby said
that for the Karabakh peace talks to go on, there is a need to build
confidence between the sides to the conflict. He also said that there
should be no link made between the process of Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement and the Nagornyy Karabakh peace process, noting that
both were necessary to move forward. He added that the process of
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement has not lived up to expectations since
October 2009 when protocols were signed in Zurich. However, he said,
"the process is not dead". The following is the text of the interview
published by the Armenian news agency Mediamax in English on 22 June;
subheadings inserted editorially:
Yerevan, 22 June: Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative to the
South Caucasus stated in his exclusive interview to Mediamax that the
armed incident on the contact line between Nagornyy Karabakh and
Azerbaijan was "clearly unacceptable".
We present the full text of the interview of Peter Semneby to Mediamax:
[Mediamax] On June 19, the next day after the Armenian, Azerbaijani
and Russian Presidents met in St Petersburg, Azerbaijani subversive
group crossed the border, killing 4 and wounding another 4 Armenian
soldiers. What is your reaction to this incident?
Incidents of this kind "clearly unacceptable"
[Semneby] Without obviously having any access to first hand
information ourselves, it is clearly unacceptable that incidents of
this kind take place. I very much regret this fact, in particular, the
loss of life that took place as a result of this incident. It
demonstrates that the conflict is a dangerous one and it should also
be an impetus to reintegrate the negotiation process. We've seen
incidents in past and unfortunately unless the negotiations gather
pace again, we will continue to see them, and I would really want to
avoid that.
[Mediamax] You said that you did not have any first hand information
about what took place. Are you going to do some kind of investigation?
[Semneby] We will obviously rely on the OSCE for information about
what has happened as we do not have any personnel on the ground.
[Mediamax] Don't you think that this time international community and
EU in particular have to publicly condemn this operation realized by
Azerbaijan as the absence of strong international condemnation is one
of the factors that are making such actions possible?
[Semneby] As I said, what happened is clearly unacceptable. We deplore
it and we deeply regret the loss of human life.
Need for confidence-building
[Mediamax] Why the international community is not simply urging
Azerbaijan to stop the militaristic statements?
[Semneby] We need to lower the temperature around this conflict and
that includes refraining from rhetoric that can be perceived as
threatening. In order for the negotiations to move forward, there is a
need to build confidence and it should be built both in terms of what
is being said in public and what is being done in practical terms.
No comment on "renewed Madrid principles"
[Mediamax] What can you say about so called "renewed Madrid
Principles" for the NK conflict settlement? Azerbaijan says that is
has accepted those renewed principles and is expecting the same from
Armenia. Armenia says that the only official proposal is the Madrid
Document itself that was presented to the sides in November 2007. What
is your understanding of the current stage in the negotiations?
[Semneby] I don't want to comment on the documents, the proposals that
are being discussed. That is something I would leave up to the
co-chairs of the Minsk Group to do.
It was an important signal in Saint Petersburg that the two Presidents
met - a signal was sent by the two Presidents that they need to speed
up the negotiations and pick up the pieces again and I hope that this
will also lead to further results.
No link between two processes
[Mediamax] Don't you think that the fact that it was Azerbaijan that
killed the Turkish-Armenian process may make Armenian side less
motivated for compromises?
[Semneby] This two processes should each one be treated according to
their own merits. Both processes are obviously necessary to move
forward. There should be no links made between them, but on the other
hand, one should also not deny or ignore the fact that each process
will have an influence on the overall atmosphere, and therefore also
the other process, which means that we need to see progress on both
scores and only by bringing both these issues to successful
resolution, we will be able to stabilize the situation and Armenia
will be able to come to peace with its neighborhood and also with
itself.
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process "not dead"
[Mediamax] And what do you think about the future of Turkish-Armenian process?
[Semneby] Clearly, there have been many disappointments along the road
in the Turkish-Armenian normalization. I had great hopes myself, when
I was present in Zurich, when the protocols were signed on the tenth
of October last year. It was a very important moment. But since then,
what has happened has clearly not met up to expectations. At the same
time, I think one should at least take note of the fact that the
process is not dead, it has been suspended on both sides, but with the
possibility and will on both sides to bring it forward and to
reintegrate it. But this will require political will and courage on
both sides. I believe very strongly that this is fundamentally the
interest of both countries. Clearly it is for Armenia, but it also is
for Turkey to fully develop its regional role in the South Caucasus,
which has clearly been limited by the conflict with Armenia and the
fact that the border is closed.
From: A. Papazian
June 22 2010
EU envoy condemns recent Karabakh clash - Armenian report
The EU envoy for the South Caucasus has condemned a recent armed clash
near Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagornyy Karabakh region between Armenian
and Azerbaijani troops, calling it "clearly unacceptable". In an
interview with the Armenian news agency Mediamax, Peter Semneby said
that for the Karabakh peace talks to go on, there is a need to build
confidence between the sides to the conflict. He also said that there
should be no link made between the process of Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement and the Nagornyy Karabakh peace process, noting that
both were necessary to move forward. He added that the process of
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement has not lived up to expectations since
October 2009 when protocols were signed in Zurich. However, he said,
"the process is not dead". The following is the text of the interview
published by the Armenian news agency Mediamax in English on 22 June;
subheadings inserted editorially:
Yerevan, 22 June: Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative to the
South Caucasus stated in his exclusive interview to Mediamax that the
armed incident on the contact line between Nagornyy Karabakh and
Azerbaijan was "clearly unacceptable".
We present the full text of the interview of Peter Semneby to Mediamax:
[Mediamax] On June 19, the next day after the Armenian, Azerbaijani
and Russian Presidents met in St Petersburg, Azerbaijani subversive
group crossed the border, killing 4 and wounding another 4 Armenian
soldiers. What is your reaction to this incident?
Incidents of this kind "clearly unacceptable"
[Semneby] Without obviously having any access to first hand
information ourselves, it is clearly unacceptable that incidents of
this kind take place. I very much regret this fact, in particular, the
loss of life that took place as a result of this incident. It
demonstrates that the conflict is a dangerous one and it should also
be an impetus to reintegrate the negotiation process. We've seen
incidents in past and unfortunately unless the negotiations gather
pace again, we will continue to see them, and I would really want to
avoid that.
[Mediamax] You said that you did not have any first hand information
about what took place. Are you going to do some kind of investigation?
[Semneby] We will obviously rely on the OSCE for information about
what has happened as we do not have any personnel on the ground.
[Mediamax] Don't you think that this time international community and
EU in particular have to publicly condemn this operation realized by
Azerbaijan as the absence of strong international condemnation is one
of the factors that are making such actions possible?
[Semneby] As I said, what happened is clearly unacceptable. We deplore
it and we deeply regret the loss of human life.
Need for confidence-building
[Mediamax] Why the international community is not simply urging
Azerbaijan to stop the militaristic statements?
[Semneby] We need to lower the temperature around this conflict and
that includes refraining from rhetoric that can be perceived as
threatening. In order for the negotiations to move forward, there is a
need to build confidence and it should be built both in terms of what
is being said in public and what is being done in practical terms.
No comment on "renewed Madrid principles"
[Mediamax] What can you say about so called "renewed Madrid
Principles" for the NK conflict settlement? Azerbaijan says that is
has accepted those renewed principles and is expecting the same from
Armenia. Armenia says that the only official proposal is the Madrid
Document itself that was presented to the sides in November 2007. What
is your understanding of the current stage in the negotiations?
[Semneby] I don't want to comment on the documents, the proposals that
are being discussed. That is something I would leave up to the
co-chairs of the Minsk Group to do.
It was an important signal in Saint Petersburg that the two Presidents
met - a signal was sent by the two Presidents that they need to speed
up the negotiations and pick up the pieces again and I hope that this
will also lead to further results.
No link between two processes
[Mediamax] Don't you think that the fact that it was Azerbaijan that
killed the Turkish-Armenian process may make Armenian side less
motivated for compromises?
[Semneby] This two processes should each one be treated according to
their own merits. Both processes are obviously necessary to move
forward. There should be no links made between them, but on the other
hand, one should also not deny or ignore the fact that each process
will have an influence on the overall atmosphere, and therefore also
the other process, which means that we need to see progress on both
scores and only by bringing both these issues to successful
resolution, we will be able to stabilize the situation and Armenia
will be able to come to peace with its neighborhood and also with
itself.
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process "not dead"
[Mediamax] And what do you think about the future of Turkish-Armenian process?
[Semneby] Clearly, there have been many disappointments along the road
in the Turkish-Armenian normalization. I had great hopes myself, when
I was present in Zurich, when the protocols were signed on the tenth
of October last year. It was a very important moment. But since then,
what has happened has clearly not met up to expectations. At the same
time, I think one should at least take note of the fact that the
process is not dead, it has been suspended on both sides, but with the
possibility and will on both sides to bring it forward and to
reintegrate it. But this will require political will and courage on
both sides. I believe very strongly that this is fundamentally the
interest of both countries. Clearly it is for Armenia, but it also is
for Turkey to fully develop its regional role in the South Caucasus,
which has clearly been limited by the conflict with Armenia and the
fact that the border is closed.
From: A. Papazian