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Actualization of The Issue of The Artsakh Recognition in 2010

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  • Actualization of The Issue of The Artsakh Recognition in 2010

    ACTUALIZATION OF THE ISSUE OF THE ARTSAKH RECOGNITION IN 2010

    Lragir.am
    31 Dec 2010


    The fate of the Armenian-Turkish protocols has been an important issue
    in the public discourse since the first months of 2010. The
    international interest toward the ratification of these documents in
    the Armenian and Turkish parliaments, despite Baku's and Ankara's
    efforts, overshadowed the process of the Artsakh settlement.

    On the eve of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day the Armenian
    President suspended by his decree the procedure of the ratification of
    the Armenian-Turkish Protocols at the parliament of the country. The
    Karabakh settlement again appeared in the center of attention of the
    public and political forces of the three countries, parties to the
    conflict.

    On April 26, 2010, the NKR Public Council for the Foreign and Security
    Policy applied to the Armenian organizations of Diaspora with the
    appeal to initiate the process of the international recognition of the
    Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The appeal, addressed to the three Armenian
    traditional parties and lobbying structures of the Armenian Diaspora
    pointed out the necessity that Armenian organizations in Diaspora
    consider the issue of the international recognition of the Artsakh
    Republic as an equal priority direction of their activity besides such
    an important issue as the recognition of the Genocide. It was stressed
    that the international recognition of the NKR would create a whole
    spectrum of new possibilities for protection of the republic by the
    political and diplomatic ways. The recognized NKR will become the
    legitimate part of the international security architecture, safely
    guaranteeing its own defence.[1]

    The initiative of the Public Council was positively assessed by NKR
    NGO's and various factions of the Armenian parliament,[2] including
    the representatives of the republican majority.[3]

    Deputy of the NKR National Assembly and member of the Public Council
    Gegham Baghdasaryan in his speech at the meeting of the ARF
    Dashnaktsutyun `Hye Dat' (Armenian Cause) commissions and offices on
    May 9, 2010, said that the Karabakh authorities might have done much
    more in the last 16 years and at least could have a designed
    program of actions and a concept for the international recognition of
    Artsakh. `But it is not late today as well. For the Artsakh part of
    the Armenian people the recognition is first of all the issue of
    security, the issue of prevention of the new genocide,[4]' ` noted Mr.
    Baghdasaryan.

    The participants of the `Hye Dat' meeting, which was attended by
    representatives of thirty countries of the world, decided that the
    corner stone of the activities of the `Hye Dat' commissions for the
    coming years would be the Artsakh issue. In the light of Azerbaijan's
    unconstructive position in the Karabakh conflict settlement, the issue
    of the international recognition of the NKR independence becomes
    urgent and this direction of the activity of the `Hye Dat' commission
    should be much more active.[5]

    It is necessary to note that in the second half of the last year the
    `Hye Dat' structures undertook some steps in the direction of the NKR
    recognition. In particular, in October 2010 they organized an
    acquaintance visit to NKR by the deputies of the European Parliament.
    Commenting the results of the visit, the leader of the Dashnaktsutyun
    faction in the RA National Assembly Vahan Hovhannisyan pointed out
    that the visit of the deputies of the European Parliament to Karabakh
    was one of the necessary steps for the recognition of the NKR
    independence. `It is a necessary work for the Artsakh international
    recognition, which we will conduct regardless the processes (the
    initiative of the `Heritage' faction, - Ð`Ð`) in the parliament,' ` said
    Mr. Hovhannisyan.[6]

    On November 12-13, 2010, a conference of the European `Hye Dat'
    committees took place in Paris with participation of the ARF
    Dashnaktsutyun bodies in the Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland,
    Germany, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus. The conference paid a special
    attention to the issue of the international recognition of the NKR
    independence.[7]

    It is noteworthy that the NKR Minister of Foreign Affairs proposed to
    create a special commission to promote the process of the NKR
    recognition, pointing out that this issue requires complex efforts and
    cannot be a task of just one agency. The statement was made in the NKR
    Parliament on December 2010.[8]

    Along with the discussion of the problem of the NKR international
    recognition in various forums and areas, some work was carried out in
    the Armenian parliament for the recognition of Artsakh by the Republic
    of Armenia. As it is known, the deputies from the `Heritage' faction
    initiated the draft law `On the recognition of the NKR independence'
    as early as on October 15, 2009, but its passing through the Armenian
    parliament delayed.

    The voting of the draft law, scheduled for October 2010, was
    postponed. On December 9 the Armenian Parliament did not make a
    decision on the draft law `On the recognition of the NKR
    independence,' submitted by the oppositional `Heritage' faction for
    the first reading (13 MPs voted `for,' no-one `against' or
    `abstained'.) Deputies from the ruling coalition ` the Republican
    Party, the `Bargavach Hayastan' (`Prosperous Armenia') Party and the
    `Orinats Yerkir' (`The Rule of Law Country') Party ` did not take part
    in the voting.

    Unfortunately, the parliamentary forces of Armenia failed to reach the
    consensus on such a strategically important issue for the Armenian
    nation as the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The
    legislatively fixed position of the Republic of Armenia on the NKR
    status would not have left any false hopes in Azerbaijan and among its
    supporters.

    The next day after the voting the leader of the `Heritage' Raffi
    Hovhannissyan said: `For me personally the issue of recognition of the
    NKR independence is no less important and principle than the issue of
    the genocide of Armenians.' Raffi Hovhannissyan admitted that he
    expected some understanding by the representatives of the coalition
    parties. `They should have understood that the issue of the NKR's
    recognition is not just one among the issues of the party urgent
    interests. There were people who made their personal contribution to
    the cause of the Artsakh liberation, and I expected that they would
    display some other position,' ` the former minister of Foreign Affairs
    of Armenia admitted, adding that the party would not initiate
    consideration of this issue in parliament of the country any
    longer.[9]

    Despite the fact that the `Heritage' party failed to reach its goal,
    its initiative on the recognition of the Artsakh independence by
    Armenia has played quite a positive role. Thanks to this process in
    the RA National Assembly, the international community continued
    receiving signals from Armenia, including from the pro-governmental
    parties, that the international recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh
    Republic has no alternative. The discussion of the issue of the
    Nagorno Karabakh recognition in the Armenian parliament kept the level
    of urgency of the Karabakh problem in the Armenian society.

    In the address to the Artsakh people on the occasion of the Day of
    proclamation of the NKR the Armenian President and the leader of the
    republican party of Armenia noted that the peaceful settlement of the
    Nagorno Karabakh problem can have only one solution and it is the
    internationally recognized independence of Artsakh.[10]

    Meanwhile in his statement at the OSCE summit in Astana (Dec.12.2010)
    and after that, at the session of the Council of Collective Security
    of the CSTO (Dec.12.2010) the President of Armenia said that in case
    if Azerbaijan resumes the armed aggression, Armenian will no have any
    chance but to recognize the Nagorno Karabakh Republic de jure and do
    its best to guarantee the security of the Artsakh people.[11]

    The idea, voiced in Astana, was not any new, being in the arsenal of
    the Armenian diplomacy in late 1990s ` early 2000s.[12] Such an
    approach was justified in the post-war years and could be a
    containment factor. But since 2008, when the process of recognition of
    former autonomies started despite the wish of former metropolitan
    states, when the UN International Court recognized the correctness of
    the proclamation of the Kosovo independence,[13] it is wrong to tie up
    the Artsakh recognition with the probable aggression by Azerbaijan. A
    new situation has emerged and new legal precedents have appeared in
    the international relations. Taking into account all that, we should
    not let Azerbaijan have any role in the issue of recognition of the
    status and future of the NKR. It would be the same as to expect the
    international recognition of the NKR independence by the results of
    the talks within the format of the OSCE Minsk Group, where
    Azerbaijan's consent is needed. As the Armenian President noted
    correctly in the other part of his statement at the Astana OSCE
    summit, `Azerbaijan has neither legal, political nor moral base for
    claims regarding Nagorno Karabakh.'

    The process of the NKR recognition should go on without Azerbaijan's
    participation in parallel with the Minsk Process (where the other key
    issues may be discussed besides the status). Armenia and the
    international community should recognize the independence of the
    Nagorno Karabakh Republic to prevent the possible military aggression.
    As it has already been noted, the international recognition is a
    modern mechanism to strengthen security in the conflict zones and to
    maintain stability. Not long ago such a mechanism proved its
    effectiveness in Kosovo, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

    The Armenian Parliament could have adopted the resolution on the NKR,
    using the terminology of the consultative conclusion of the UN
    International Court to avoid the possible external pressure. Such a
    proposal was made publicly in November 2010.[14]

    On the eve of the voting related to the draft law on the recognition
    of NKR, the National Assembly of Armenia adopted another draft law in
    the first reading: `On introduction of amendments into the RA Law on
    international treaties,' according to which the republic will be able
    to conclude treaties with those states that are not recognized by the
    international community. The head of the `Heritage' faction Stepan
    Safaryan insisted that introducing such an amendment into the law,
    Armenia openly demonstrates that it will not recognize the NKR, by
    that trying to sign treaties with Artsakh as non-recognized republic.
    The deputy considers such an approach incorrect and fraught with
    dangerous consequences. The National Assembly adopted the mentioned
    draft law `On introduction of amendments into the Law on international
    treaties' in the second and final reading at its December 17 session.

    In the beginning of December 2010, two largest states of the Latin
    America (Argentina and Brazil) responded to the request of the
    Palestinian leader and declared that they recognized the independence
    of Palestine in the borders of 1967.[15] Uruguay also announced about
    the intention to recognize the Palestinian state in the beginning of
    2011. The actions of the Latin American states related to the
    recognition cannot be considered as precedents, because Palestine had
    already been recognized as a state before that by dozens of the
    countries of the world. But the interesting point here is that the
    Latin American countries, where there is a strong Armenian Diaspora,
    decided to enlarge their independence in the international affairs and
    took the side of one of the parties in the protracted Middle East
    conflict.

    Remarkably, the United States and the European Union have not welcomed
    the decisions made by Brazil and Argentina, considering their actions
    premature. The US Assistant secretary of State William Burns for
    political affairs said that only the Palestinians and Israelis
    themselves would be able to implement the idea of creation of the
    Palestinian state and its peaceful coexistence with Israel.[16] The
    countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group hold the same logic in the
    issue of determination of the Nagorno Karabakh status. That is why the
    fact that a group of the Latin American states displayed independence
    in their policy in the mentioned issue may open new opportunities for
    us and therefore it should be a point of interest for the Armenian and
    Artsakh diplomacy.


    By Masis MAYILIAN

    President, Public Council for Foreign and Security Policy

    www.analyticon.org


    [1] The Karabakh Public Council for the Foreign Policy called on the
    Diaspora to initiate the international recognition of the NKR,
    http://newsarmenia.ru/karabah/20100426/42238814.html
    [2] The RA parliamentary forces welcome the initiative of the NKR
    Public Council,
    http://defacto.am/index.php?name=pages&op=view&id=10406
    [3] The RPA will assist in the issue of international recognition of
    the NKR, http://armtoday.info/default.asp?Lang=_Ru&NewsID=25056&SectionID=0&RegionID=0&Date=04/27/2010&PagePosition=1
    [4] Gegham Baghdasaryan: Artsakh is not a totem or mummy, but a live
    organism, http://www.armtoday.info/default.asp?Lang=_Ru&NewsID=25593&SectionID=0&RegionID=0&Date=05/16/2010&PagePosition=8
    [5] New challenges require greater consolidation,
    http://www.golosarmenii.am/ru/19984/world/3478/
    [6] The visit of the European Parliamentarians to the NKR is one of
    the steps aimed at the recognition of the independence of the country,
    http://www.newsarmenia.ru/karabah/20101029/42333565.html
    [7] A conference of the European committees of `Hye Dat' took place
    in Paris, http://regnum.ru/news/azeri/1346472.html
    [8] In 2011 measures will be undertaken to open the NKR representation
    in Brussels, http://regnum.ru/news/fd-abroad/karabax/1354206.html
    [9] Raffi Hovhannisyan: It is unacceptable to tie up the recognition
    of the NKR independence with the break of the war,
    http://www.armtoday.info/default.asp?Lang=_Ru&NewsID=35965&SectionID=0&RegionID=0&Date=12/11/2010&PagePosition=1
    [10] http://www.president.am/events/news/rus/?id=1166
    [11] http://www.president.am/events/statements/rus/?id=78
    http://www.president.am/events/statements/rus/?id=79
    [12] Why not recognize, Naira Ayrumyan,
    http://www.lragir.am/russrc/politics-lrahos13559.html
    [13] Ð`The UN International Court decided that the Declaration on
    proclamation of the Kosovo independence does not contradict the
    international law,
    http://www.un.org/russian//news/fullstorynews.asp?newsID=13923
    [14] The political will is needed,
    http://aravot.am/ru/articles/politics/85681/view
    [15] Brazil recognized the Palestinian state within the borders of
    1967, http://www.interfax.ru/politics/news.asp?id=167694

    [16] W. Burns: Argentina and Brazil have recognized Palestine too
    early, http://news.am/rus/news/41360.html




    From: A. Papazian
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