ARMENIA BLAMES AZERBAIJAN FOR UN RESOLUTION
ARMENPRESS
March 17, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS: A spokesman for outgoing president
Robert Kocharian said today a UN Security Council resolution, calling
on Armenia ‘to withdraw from Azerbaijani regions’ was not a surprise
for official Yerevan.
Speaking to a news conference Viktor Soghomonian said however,
Armenia was undaunted by this non-binding resolutions.
His remarks came in response to a UN Security Council’s resolution on
situation in Azerbaijani regions, which was voted against on March
14 by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries – US, France and the
Russian Federation, as well as Armenia and a few other countries,
while over 150 countries abstained or did not vote and only 39
countries supported the resolution, out of organizational affinity
with either GUAM or the Organization of Islamic Conference.
Commenting on it Soghomonian said now questions arise about whether
Azerbaijan is a serious negotiating partner.
Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian said over the weekend that
"Although the non-binding resolution passed the General Assembly,
the rejection of Azerbaijan’s position by an overwhelming majority is
a barometer of the mood of the international community on this issue."
Minister Oskanian characterized the resolution as hypocritical. "On
the one hand, in an effort to misinform member states, the resolution
included a paragraph that supports the OSCE Minsk Process. On the
other hand, Azerbaijan blatantly ignored the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
position. The co-chair countries had made clear they would not support
the resolution and in fact voted against the resolution," he said.