PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: “ISLAMABAD WILL SUPPORT AZERBAIJAN IN NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE”
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow
14.02.12 | 12:10
Photo:
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore
OSCE Chairman Eamon Gilmore, who is also Deputy Premier and Minister
of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, presented a report at the UN
Security Council (SC) on February 9 in New York, stressing his pursuit
of “long-term settlement of protracted conflicts in Transnistria,
Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh”.
Addressing the Karabakh issue, Gilmore spoke highly of the work of
OSCE Minsk Group (MG). “We welcome the efforts of OSCE Minsk Group for
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and expect close cooperation
with the co-chairs during this year”.
After Gilmore’s speech, ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev, Permanent
Representative of Azerbaijan (Non-Permanent member of UN SC) to
UN, urged OSCE to deal with the issue more actively and recognize
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
The same day official Islamabad criticized the low efficiency of
American, Russian and French diplomats (MG co-chairs) and spoke for
the necessity of involving also other countries in the OSCE MG.
Pakistani ambassador to Azerbaijan Inayatullah Kakar stated: “OSCE
Minsk Group has been working over the issue for a long time, but
that work has not been productive. One of the reasons, I believe,
is double standards. I think, in order to raise the work efficiency
of Minsk Group, it should be expanded to include also other states.”
Pakistan is a country that has never recognized the independence of
the Republic of Armenia.
In this connection the ambassador said: “As you know Pakistan is the
only country that has not recognized Armenia as a state. Pakistan
has always recognized, and always will, Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity. In the Nagorno Karabakh issue Azerbaijan can always rely
on Pakistan’s support, just like Azerbaijan is supporting Pakistan
in the Kashmir issue.”
Yet Benazir Bhutto during her premiership talked about Pakistan’s
readiness to get engaged in the Karabakh conflict settlement.
It was during her second term as a premier (1993-1996) that Taliban
brigades were formed in Azerbaijan, which fought against the Defense
Army of Nagorno Karabakh and declared jihad to all Armenians.
Pakistan’s current president Asif Ali Zardari is the bearer of Bhutto
clan’s pan-Islamic course and the spouse of Benazir Bhutto who was
assassinated in a bombing in December, 2007.
Recently Ali Zardari stated: “The relations between Pakistan and
Azerbaijan are based on common historical, cultural and religious
grounds. Islamabad will always support Azerbaijan in the Nagorno
Karabakh issue.”
Pakistan is the second country after Turkey to have recognized
Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991. It is Azerbaijan’s most important
military partner, along with Turkey.
Azeri officers are currently undergoing training in Pakistan. Further,
the Pakistani diplomatic academy offers education courses in Azeri
diplomacy.
From: Baghdasarian