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  • Consequences of Montenegro referendum

    Consequences of Montenegro referendum

    Yerkir.am
    July 07, 2006

    Armen Rustamian, chairman of the Armenian National Assembly's Foreign
    Relations Committee and Armenian Revolutionary Federation Armenia
    Supreme Body representative, delivered a speech at the Council of
    Europe's Parliamentary Assembly summer session.

    Below is the text of the speech.

    First, I would like to congratulate the peoples of Serbia and
    Montenegro for their ability to settle their issue in a civilized and
    peaceful manner. It is not hard to imagine what could have happened
    if the will of people was ignored, if people were denied the right
    to determine their fate on their own, if conducting a referendum was
    obstructed or its results were not recognized.

    Fortunately, it didn't happen in Montenegro, it is worthy example to
    follow. But sadly, there are many other negative examples. One of them
    is the Karabakh conflict. The history of that conflict demonstrates
    that efforts to silence a people's voice and imposing others' will from
    outside result in large-scale humanitarian catastrophe and bloodshed.

    This is exactly how, 15 years ago, Azerbaijan responded to the Nagorno
    Karabakh people's legitimate independence referendum conducted in
    line with the USSR laws. It was then that an opportunity to settle
    the conflict in civilized and peaceful manner was missed.

    In those terms, the key conclusion stemming from the Montenegro
    referendum is as follows: On the one hand, it is more than apparent
    that in the modern world it is impossible to apply the obsolete
    mechanisms to complex conflicts and settle them by means of arbitrary
    methods.

    On the other hand, the necessity to establish situations that would
    allow a people to apply its right of self-determination under
    international law and through democratic means is becoming more
    apparent.

    This is the exact key to the Karabakh conflict settlement --
    to respect the natural right of the Nagorno Karabakh people to
    self-determination. There are no legal, political or historic
    alternatives to such settlement.

    I would also advise my Azeri colleagues to refrain from abusing the
    Karabakh conflict unnecessarily just to justify domestic problems.
    I realize that it is necessary for propaganda reasons but it becomes
    absurd sometimes.

    For example, Azerbaijan's stance could not be considered constructive
    when it declares no cooperation with Armenia in regional projects is
    possible until the Karabakh conflict has been settled.

    It is absurd when Azerbaijan says no fundamental democratic reforms
    are possible in that country unless the conflict has been resolved.
    This is either self-deception or an effort to render an ultimatum
    to the Council of Europe in order to either force it help settle
    the conflict in its favor or stop criticizing Azerbaijan for
    democracy-related issues.

    But the European experience -- and particularly the Serbia and
    Montenegro case -- proves the contrary: the more democratic the
    countries engaged in conflict are the more their people are tolerant
    and the more efficient the negotiations.

    The Montenegro referendum proved once again the known truth: there
    are no democracy, common security and stability without the respect
    for a people's right to express its will freely.

    Only when conflicts are resolved without victors and losers there is
    a common victory of democracy as is the case with Montenegro.
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