VARTAN OSKANIAN: THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION FOR THIS CONFLICT
armradio.am
30.11.2007 12:18
Speaking at the 15th OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid, Mr. Vartan
Oskanian, the Minister of Foreign Affaitrs of the Republic of Armenia
touched upon several issues including OSCE reforms, CFE, Armenia’s
elections and finally about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. But before
all that, the Foreign Minister commend the Spanish chairmanship for
the very good work they’ve done during the year.
"Although the organization has been evolving ever since its inception,
we have really changed in this last half decade. Some of those
changes, intended to enhance the effectiveness of the organization,
appear sometimes to burden its structures, and sometimes even disturb
the delicate balance among the various components of what we still
believe is a correct premise – that security is indivisible.
The OSCE’s three dimensions have provided each of us with something
to hang on to. Today the equilibrium among our three pillars begins
to wobble because of the centrifugal effect of so much criss-crossing
of priorities and interests. There’s an uncomfortable shift in balance.
This is why Armenia does not think reform should be taboo nor do we
consider the reform process a wasteful exercise. The Herald Tribune
even raised these points this morning. No large, complex organization,
private or public, can maintain its relevance and improve its
performance simply by assuming that all is well. At the OSCE, our
greatest challenge is to alter the experience of some delegations
who find that the playing field is uneven. An organization based on
consensus presumably believes in a level playing field. It is not a
matter of being and feeling equal, rather of having an equal right
to defend our interests.
Because this unevenness becomes more apparent and more problematic
at the level of institutions and missions, believing in enhancing
ODIHR’s autonomy and effectiveness, we have attempted to seek in
ODIHR greater evenhandedness, transparency, non-selectivity, and
region-blindness particularly in its election-related activities.
As for OSCE missions, Armenia has already raised the issue, secure
in the very satisfactory, beneficial and cooperative performance
of the office in Yerevan. But we believe that as their numbers,
mandates and operations evolve, the whole missions system needs an
adjustment to reduce the perception of favorite tracks and sometimes
quasi-permanent dependency. The ultimate benefit of any mission will
be evident when that mission, having completed its work, makes itself
redundant. That is why we emphasize capacity building as the next
priority for the Yerevan office," MR. Oskanian said.
Reflecting on the priorities of the organization as a whole, the
Minister addressed the CFE, a foundational issue and one that plays
an important role in the edifice of military strategic security for
the area. "Presently it is in trouble. We are a state party and the
effective functioning of a Treaty in full implementation is essential
to our national security.
Frankly, we are deeply concerned by our neighbor Azerbaijan blatantly
and unapologetically exceeding by substantial numbers its holdings
of TLEs. It is in this sense that the reinvigoration of the CFE and
its adapted successor is vital for all state parties."
"It seems our whole region is getting ready for an electoral year. In
Armenia, we concluded parliamentary elections in May and scored quite
a satisfactory rating in the eyes of the international community. My
government has every intention to maintain the momentum in the
Presidential elections coming in February. These, at a time when
Armenia is socially, economically a new country and we are seeing
the return of hope and optimism," Minister Oskanian said.
Finally, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian turned to the settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "On the one hand, through successive
meetings of Presidents and Foreign Ministers, we have arrived at
a working document that can serve as the basis for a preliminary
agreement. Today, we met with the top diplomats of the co-chair
countries whose concern is that we preserve what we have achieved
and go further.
We understand and appreciate their special attention and their
recognition of the progress made in this process.
That document addresses the core issue – the security of the people
of Nagorno Karabakh, through self-determination – as well as the
issues of refugees and territories that came about as a result of
that self-determination struggle.
Unfortunately, outside of the negotiation process, there is another,
contradictory and disheartening reality. First, there are militaristic
calls ringing from the highest levels of Azerbaijan’s leadership;
second, Baku’s systematic, organized hate propaganda has reached
frightening levels within Azerbaijan. Third, Azerbaijan’s willful
obstruction of international envoys entrusted with monitoring the
conflict and the region is threatening to upset the fine balance that
we have sustained, and fourth, their active and aggressive search
for alternative international forums in which to present their case,
rebuffs their responsibility to compromise.
As hopeful as we are that a negotiated settlement is possible, this
hostile atmosphere concerns us. Armenians believe there will be no
new wars in our region. I know this because we won’t start it, and
they know they can’t win it. There is no military solution for this
conflict. The only solution is one based on compromise, and in that
sense, this document denies each side their maximalist desires and
focuses instead on a sensible, respectable, acceptable solution that
can be explained to ordinary people.
And will make it possible for ordinary people to reconnect over time
and across political boundaries in a space split by war and hatred. For
this to happen, the extraordinary people, those endowed with the
power to lead must demonstrate vision and instill trust, re-create a
Caucasus space and contribute to the region’s stability and prosperity.
In this context and as members of this broad and inclusive European
organization, we look enviously at the countries of Europe, all of
whom, even those who were shaken to the core by the transformation of
the world order, have found ways to place problems onto an agenda,
without allowing those problems to abort the agenda. Perhaps we in
the Caucasus will be next in adopting such European approaches to
regional problems," Vartan Oskanian said.