PAN-ARMENIAN CONFERENCE CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CORRECTION…
Azat Artsakh Daily
July 20, 2009
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
In Yerevan’s Diplomacy on Karabakh, Turkey ShareThis Resolution of
the Pan-Armenian Conference held in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, on July 10-11, 2009 We, the representatives of Armenian
communities in 25 countries of the world, having discussed, at a
conference organized under the high patronage of the President of
NKR, the current issues of utmost importance for the nation and
the state, namely the issues of Artsakh and the Armenia-Turkish
relations, herewith determine: 1. Armenia and the Armenians are at
an important and decisive stage. The preservation of our identity,
the future of the two Armenian states and of our nation depends on
the further course and the resolution of the two issues on our agenda.
2. We are determined to protect the interests and the rights of the
nation and the state and to secure our independent and dignified
place in the family of civilized nations, using all possible and
impossible means.
3. We demand confidence, realism and political will from the incumbent
and future authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh; in these two critical issues, they should be guided
solely and exclusively by the interests of the Armenian nation and
the sense of responsibility before generations to come. 4. We realize
that all issues related to the foundations of the state and domestic
and foreign policy are inter-related and insist on comprehensive and
balanced position [on these issues]. 5. The Republic of Armenia,
Artsakh and the Diaspora can become an organized power only if we act
as parts of the whole, establish a format for exercising our joint
will, employ our capacities and prove to our neighbors and centers
of power of the world that the Armenian nation shall not tolerate
infringement of our legitimate rights. In view of the above, the
conference herewith states in relation to Armenia-Turkey relations:
Armenia and Turkey, as neighbor states, will eventually have to
establish normal relations. Armenia’s initiative to start diplomatic
relations and open the borders without any preconditions has already
been a concession and a demonstration of good will towards Turkey. In
more than a year Turkey, however, has not responded commensurately to
Armenia’s such unilateral readiness. None of Turkey’s leaders made
any public statement on their wish to normalize relations without
any preconditions. Turkey continues to establish preconditions,
consistently increases her biased role in the Artsakh issue and,
in reality, instead of heading for the normalization of relations,
successfully misguides the international community by thus removing
the Armenian issue from the agenda. In this con text, signing the
joint statement of April 22, 2009 was a wrong and a short-sighted
move. Present trends are equally and even more dangerous, as the
power centers of the world are trying to impose some accelerated
solutions of the Artsakh issue and by doing so steer the course of
Armenia-Turkey relations in the direction which is beneficial for
Turkey [alone]. It is already obvious that Armenia and the Armenians
have to deal with a concerted policy of Turkey-Azerbaijan tandem.
In these circumstances, we are confident about the relevance of
the below considerations and the importance of pursuing them at a
state level. a) Lifting the blockade and establishing diplomatic
relations based on general provisions of international law and without
any preconditions should be viewed as a natural entry point for the
dialogue between the two states.
True friendly relations with Turkey may be established upon the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the restoration of the rights
of the Armenian people. b) Universal recognition and condemnation
of the Genocide and, specifically, recognition and condemnation by
Turkey is of fundamental significance both in terms of restoring
historical justice and in the context of establishing an atmosphere
of mutual confidence in the region and prevention of such crimes in
the future. This provision of Armenia’s national security concept
has de facto ceased to be a guiding prin ciple of Armenia’s foreign
policy. Any attempt to turn the fact of the Genocide into a matter
of a historical debate is equally inadmissible.
c) Normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations at the expense of Armenia’s
sovereignty and viability and the rights of future generations is
absolutely inadmissible. The authorities of the Republic of Armenia
should not allow Turkey to use the imitation of negotiations
for scoring additional political and advocacy points in the
international arena. d) Armenia’s authorities have a duty to
revisit and reconsider the course of public interaction initiated
one year ago and its negative outcomes, and should reveal to the
international community Turkey’s true intentions and discontinue the
negotiations. In relation to the current stage of the Artsakh issue,
the conference herewith states that: The regional status quo is the
result of Azerbaijan’s policy aimed at shattering the right of free
self-determination of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, unleashing a war
and losing it. Not only Artsakh managed to defend her right to life,
but it created a democratic state conforming to all international
norms; this state grows and develops normally. Today and tomorrow,
the dignity, the viability and the future of Armenia and the Armenian
nation are contingent on Artsakh’s independence and security. Certain
trends in relation to providing a hasty solution to=2 0the problem
and Azerbaijan’s belligerent statements require that we remain
vigilant, keep the issue in the focus of the national discourse and,
as appropriate, prevent any possibility of unfair resolution of
the conflict. In view of the above, the conference believes that:
a) The course of the final settlement of the Artsakh issue is that
of peaceful negotiations; the distorted format of these negotiations
should however change so that the NKR becomes a full-fledged party
in the negotiations.
b) The negotiations process should be based on the accomplished
fact of the independence of the people of Artsakh and the results
of the 1991 independence and the 2006 Constitution referenda. The
negotiations should have, as an objective, an immediate recognition
of NKR independence and ensuring her security, and should not
circumvent the issue of occupied areas of Getashen, Mardakert
and Martuni and the rights of hundreds of thousands of Armenians
displaced from Azerbaijan. c) Nagorno Karabakh has never been a part
of the independent Azerbaijan; she declared independence in 1991 in
the territory which did not belong to Azerbaijan. The demise of the
Soviet Union put an end to the Soviet Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction over
Artsakh. The commencement of the Artsakh war and its consequences
are the responsibility of Azerbaijan alone. d) While we realize that
negotiations imply mutual concessions, we a t the same time maintain
that mutual concessions, in view of all components of the settlement
of the conflict, may only be commensurate, equal, concurrent and
within the package solution framework. Otherwise, any weakening of
the security belt around the NKR, without restoring its territorial
integrity, will increase the likelihood of war and thus threaten the
safety of Artsakh’s population. e) Within this context, the call of
the co-chairs for the expedited settlement of the conflict based on
the so called Madrid Principles is not in line with the nature of the
conflict and its history. Moreover, it completely ignores the will of
the NKR people that they have already so legitimately expressed. The
conference believes that adopting any international document without
direct participation of the key party to the conflict, i.e. the
authorities of the NKR, is condemnable, inadmissible and devoid
of any legal power. The conference affirms that the Republic of
Armenia is not in a position to replace NKR in resolving this vital
issue. The conference further demands that the proposed document be
not signed and that urgent measures be taken to return the NKR to the
negotiations table as a full-fledged party. f) Armenia should take
all measures to guarantee the security and independence of the NKR
and attain an international affirmation of her status. Accordingly,
only a document excluding any use of force and signed20between the RA,
NKR and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the international community
may ensure the irreversibility of the peaceful negotiations process.
g) For us, Artsakh is Armenia and shall remain as such. We have
already scored a victory by mobilizing the Armenian nation in the
war unleashed by Azerbaijan, and there should be no doubt that we
shall do the same should anyone decide to use the language of warfare
against our nation. We, the participants of the two-day conference
on the Artsakh issue and Armenia-Turkey relations herewith reaffirm
our unity and determination in relation to issues of importance for
the nation and the state. The independent Republic of Armenia, the
free Artsakh, the organized Diaspora and inalienable rights of our
nation continue to remain our ultimate values. Stepanakert