Armenia
H.E. Mr.Serzh Sargsyan, President
23 September 2011
Statement:
English
Statement Summary:
SERZH SARGSYAN, President of Armenia, noting that his country highly
appreciated the mediation efforts of global and regional
organizations, said the success of mediation hinged on the
articulation of a clearly defined mandate, such as in the case of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group
in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Another key factor
was the mediators’ role in preventing conflict escalation and
resumption of hostilities, an aspect that was sometimes overlooked,
yet no less important. Congratulating South Sudan on being elected to
the Organization, he said its people had exercised their right to live
sovereignly and independently, a choice also made two decades ago by
the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. They had withstood the war unleashed
by Azerbaijan and survived bloodshed to earn their right to live in
freedom.
Azerbaijan’s unwillingness to reach an agreement and its `everything
or war’ position, however, had stalled peace talks, he said, adding
that it had rejected the previously elaborated arrangement. `Baku has
turned `armenophobia’ into State propaganda,’ he said, and even more
dangerously, `armenophobic’ ideas were being spread among young
Azerbaijanis. The Azerbaijani propaganda machine regularly overwhelmed
international and domestic audiences with lies about so-called
`Armenian brutality’. A number of documents had been signed, including
the Meindorf, Astrakhan and Sochi Declarations, which stressed the
need to boost confidence-building measures between the parties, but
Azerbaijan had turned down repeated international proposals related to
the non-use of force.
As a nation that had survived a `genocide’ – the most extreme form of
racism and xenophobia – Armenia was morally obliged to act to prevent
such future atrocities, he said. Eliminating racism and xenophobia
would succeed only with a clear prescription of liability and the
global community must denounce any expression of intolerance.
Unfortunately, Turkey continued to deny the genocide of Armenians
perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire. He unequivocally welcomed the
international community’s position to preclude any possibility of
immunity or pardon for the perpetrators of genocide or other crimes
against humanity.
He went on to say that, in 2008, he had expressed hope that the
process to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey – initiated
by Armenia – and to open borders closed by Turkey would become the
first steps in starting dialogue and overcoming the `air of mistrust’.
But, Turkey had aborted the ratification and implementation of
protocols Armenia initiated in 2009. In other areas, he urged
honouring international commitments to turn the South Caucasus into a
region of cooperation and prosperity. The link between security and
development was not simply an abstract theory for his region. The time
had come for the leaders of regional countries to `stand above the
dictates of a narrow political agenda’ and move towards solutions
aimed at a peaceful and prosperous future.
Recalling that just two days ago, Armenia celebrated the twentieth
anniversary of its independence, he said that period had been one of
great change and he thanked all States that had supported its
construction of statehood. Gains had been made in the fields of
democratization, human rights, economic reforms and the establishment
of the rule of law. `We are convinced we are on the right path,’ he
said. Concluding, he said Armenia contributed to international
counter-terrorism efforts and would continue to do its best to create
a safer world.
http://gadebate.un.org/66/armenia