FIRST STEP TO RESOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT IS TO REFRAIN FROM USE OR THREAT OF FORCE – OSCE HEAD (INTERVIEW)
news.am
June 11, 2012 | 16:49
The interview of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Eamon Gilmore,
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Trade to Armenian News-NEWS.am.
Q.: What are Ireland’s priorities and plans for the second part
of 2012?
Our Chairmanship priorities are for the whole year so we are
continuing the work we started in the months before we took over the
OSCE Chairmanship. One of the reasons for my visit to Armenia and
Azerbaijan is to discuss with the political leadership how we can
make progress in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
This is an important priority for me. I know well the devastating
cost of conflict; it affects not just the people in the proximity of
the line of contact, but all citizens. My own country suffered for
many years from conflict. I am proud that together with political
and community leaders in Ireland and the United Kingdom we turned
the conflict into a successful peace process.
During our OSCE Chairmanship we have seen some progress in the
Transdniestrian settlement process. Official negotiations resumed
at the end of last year and two months ago the sides agreed on the
principles and procedures for the conduct of the negotiations. This
is an important step.
Another priority is internet freedom. Today the internet is a vital
communication tool, allowing billions of people to exercise their
freedom of expression. Next week (on 18 June) I am hosting an important
conference where politicians, diplomats and experts from civil society
and the public and private sectors will discuss how the internet can
remain a free and open resource for communication and information in
the OSCE region.
In the economic sphere we are continuing to promote security and
stability through good governance, with a particular focus on measures
to counter corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.
Together with the other OSCE participating States we are exchanging
good practices. In April, Ireland presented the work of our Criminal
Assets Bureau as a possible model for other countries.
We are half-way into our OSCE Chairmanship and are very focused on not
just the next six months but on the future work of the organization.
We are working closely with the incoming Ukrainian Chairmanship as
well as the future Swiss and Serbian Chairmanships on priorities
stretching into 2015.
Q.: Ireland has stated a number of times in the course of its
Chairmanship in the OSCE about its readiness to support resolution
of frozen conflicts. What steps are possible in this respect, and how
do you see the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular?
Escalation of violence is not the answer. The first step is to refrain
from the use or threat of force and to abstain from retaliatory
measures.
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (France, Russia, US) are working hard
in strengthening the ceasefire and in finding a negotiated solution
and the OSCE Chairmanship fully supports their efforts.
Our experience in Ireland is that it takes a combination of steps
in many different areas to make real progress. It is hard and takes
leadership and courage from all sides.
The people living in these areas deserve peace and stability, not a
fragile and unsustainable status quo.
Q.: In your view, how important it is to create an atmosphere of trust
between the sides, and in this context what do you think about the
continuous militaristic rhetoric and armament race, as well as the
refusal to withdraw snipers from the line of the contact from the
side of Azerbaijan?
Building confidence and trust is the only way to have a sustainable
resolution of the conflict. This takes time and requires efforts
by all sides to create the conditions. This needs to be done in
parallel on many levels. There need to be increased people-to-people
contacts and clear efforts to preserve places of worship, cultural
sites, and cemeteries. There needs to be increased dialogue and
communication between the political leadership from all sides. A
successful process needs to be inclusive. On the military side there
needs to be consistent adherence to the ceasefire agreement. All
parties, all actors must refrain from the use or threat of force and
from retaliation. As an important step in confidence building and
preventing further casualties, the OSCE has been calling repeatedly
for both sides to remove snipers from the line of contact and to agree
on a mechanism for investigating incidents on the line of contact.
Q.: Statistical data of recent years shows a continuous growth of
violations of ceasefire. In this respect, what is the situation with
the investigation of incidents on the line of the contact by the
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador
Andrzej Kasprzyk, in line with the agreements reached on a high level?
The Presidents agreed in their meeting in Sochi in March of 2011 to
carry out investigations of incidents on the Line of Contact, under
the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The Co-Chairs presented a
proposal to the sides, but they have still not provided comments to
it. Ambassador Kasprzyk has no mandate or the resources to conduct
investigation of the violations of the ceasefire.
Q.: In your opinion, how much is it acceptable for one OSCE
participating State to try and isolate another OSCE participating
State not allowing its participation in regional projects?
The OSCE works to bridge differences between countries and people.
Through our work we are promoting co-operation on political, military,
economic, environmental and human rights issues as essential elements
of security.
Q.: What steps does the Ireland take as an OSCE chair to prevent new
conflicts near the OSCE borders – in Syria and Iran?
By strengthening security in the OSCE region we are helping
our participating States also strengthen the security in their
neighborhood. Other organizations are working on the situation in
Syria and on Iran as they are outside of the OSCE region.
From: Baghdasarian