AZERBAIJAN FAILS AT OSCE SUMMIT
news.am
Dec 1 2010
Armenia
The first day of the OSCE Summit in Astana is over. Many of the
participants focused on the protracted conflicts in the territory
of the OSCE member-states, particularly in Georgia, Transdniestria,
and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Many of the heads of delegations pointed out the importance of peaceful
settlement of conflicts.
Interestingly, in contrast to Moldova and Georgia, members of the
delegations never mentioned Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement proved a cold
shower for the Azerbaijani delegation, which was now and then
mentioning Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. She stated that the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be settled on the principles of nonuse
of force or threat of force, territorial integrity and peoples’
right to self-determination.
The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized that the principles are a
single whole, and any attempt to present one of them as superior to
the others will not contribute to the peace process.
Mrs. Clinton underlined the importance of simultaneous application
of the principles, which rules out any exceptions.
Observers account for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s emotional
speech by the aforementioned. According to them, the first day proved
a failure for the Azerbaijani delegation. Even before the summit,
Azeri political analysts made numerous appeals to the international
community for pressing Armenia into agreeing to the basic principles.
However, in their statements, the leaders of the OSCE member-states
only pointed out some problems in the process.
An Azerbaijani-Armenian presidential meeting, the Azeri side had
hoped for so much, was not held either.
“In his speech, president Aliyev, who ignored Hillary Clinton’s
statements, stressed only one principle and found himself in an
awkward situation,” a foreign diplomat told NEWS.am.
The Armenian and Turkish Presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Abdullah Gul,
are to deliver speeches on December 2, when a final document is to
be adopted.
From: A. Papazian