On observance of principles of etiquette in interstate relations
Saturday, August 09, 2014
Chairman of the Political Science Association of Armenia, Elected
Member of the Academy of Military Sciences (RF), Visiting Professor at
the National Defense University (US), Doctor of Political Sciences
(RF), Major General Hayk Kotanjian asked our editorial staff to
publish the following statement.
This statement reflects a desire to help defuse tensions as a result
of violations of the truce between the parties to the Karabakh
conflict in terms of the recent hostilities on the borders of the
Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
ahead of the talks between the heads of state of the Republic of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Sochi at the invitation of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chair represented by the President of the Russian Federation.
As we know in the UN Charter and the preamble to the Vienna Convention
on Diplomatic Relations common goals and principles of interstate
relations are set forth concerning the sovereign equality of states,
the maintenance of international peace and security and the promotion
of friendly relations among nations.
Taking into account that the etiquette of interstate relations is not
defined in some integrated code of international standards, it can be
interpreted as a reflection of the goals and principles of the UN
Charter and the Vienna Convention in the corporate rules of
professional conduct in interstate relations, including the procedure
rules and style of the visits, public speaking, business meetings and
negotiations between actors in international relations. And in these
terms, referring to the etiquette of interstate relations, we mean the
commitment of the political culture of a state and actors to certain
rules and traditions of maintaining relations with other states. At
the same time, as the main actors of interstate relations and bearers
of norms of this etiquette are the heads of states, and not just their
diplomatic agents on behalf of their representatives. It is important
to note that the UN Charter and the Vienna Convention are adopted both
by the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The use of this approach – in the absence of another – makes it
possible to interpret the observance of the norms of etiquette of
interstate relations by the Head of Azerbaijan with his partners in
the forthcoming talks in Sochi, being organized under the auspices of
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair represented by the Head of the Russian
Federation – one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
In this regard, the reference of my Statement not only to the UN
Charter but also to the Vienna Convention – despite the absence of
diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan – disguises the
deep dissatisfaction with this political and diplomatic fact under the
conditions of the tripartite ceasefire agreement among the Republic of
Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, signed in May
1994, and many years of negotiations between the parties to the
Karabakh conflict, under the aegis of Co-Chairmanship of the three
permanent members of the UN Security Council: the Russian Federation,
the United States and the French Republic.
Meanwhile, two days before the talks between the heads of state of the
Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan, on August 6, 2014, the official
website of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev posted the
text of his speech entitled “THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN, SUPREME
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES ILHAM ALIYEV VISITED A MILITARY
UNIT IN AGHDAM”. In this speech, the Head of the neighboring state
used expressions against the Republic of Armenia, grossly violating
the generally accepted norms of interstate relations.
A fragment of the official text by the head of Azerbaijan is as
follows: – “… If the Armenian fascist state will not give up its
dirty deeds, the very existence of the Armenian state can be called
into question. …”.
As the Chairman of the Political Science Association of Armenia, I
consider it my duty to mention the unacceptability of such expressions
for heads of neighboring states having official interstate relations,
especially on the eve of peace talks.
By his in-no-way justified definitions the President of Azerbaijan Mr.
Ilham Aliyev grossly violated the goals, principles and norms of
interstate relations, established in the UN Charter and the preamble
of the “Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”. The definition of
“fascist state”, read out through the mouth of the President of
Azerbaijan to the Republic of Armenia, can only hinder the efforts to
establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus, as well as the
success of the forthcoming meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Sochi at the invitation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
– the President of the Russian Federation.
Ahead of the meeting of the Heads of state of the Russian Federation,
the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Sochi on August 8, 2014, I
have the honor to express the hope that such expressions –
inconsistent with international norms of interstate relations – would
not be repeated by the head of the neighboring state.