ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER APPEARED AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SE

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER APPEARED AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION

16.11.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nagorno Artsax has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. As reported by "Arminfo" agency, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian stated it appearing at 56-th session of UN General Assembly in New York. In the Minister's words, the people of Artsax have deserved the right, which they were deprived in the course of tens of years, to live in their historical motherland peacefully. He noted Armenia's policy was based on establishing justice in this connection. "The empty calls to military solution of the problem are not acceptable for establishing stability in the region," – Armenian foreign department head noted.

Vartan Oskanian also concerned Armenian-Turkish relations in his speech. Calling on Ankara to establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan, the Minister noted after September 11-th terrorist attacks many countries left ideology behind and began cooperating. He expressed hope that Turkey would follow their example in the name of establishment of peace and stability in the region. In Oskanian's words, the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey is still an obstacle for normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations, but this question can be solved by means of a dialogue between the Governments of the two countries. "The Armenian people, who have experienced the genocide, do not wish the tragic past to tell on the country's future," – the Minister said.

 

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[MJ]

Good approach, in my view.

 

Few things need to be seen in a proper historical and political context:

 

1. Karabagh has almost never been part of Armenia (at least for about 1600 years), but it has never been part of Azerbaijan, either, first of all since nothing of the kind as Azerbaijan has existed prior to 1918.

 

2. In 1918-1920, while being an overwhelmingly Armenian populated entity, and voting about 20 times in favor of Armenia, Karabagh has been disputed by the Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia, however, this dispute has not resulted in a resolution.

 

3. In late 1920 the then head of the Azerbaijani Government has declared officially the recognition of Karabagh (and Nakhichevan) as part of Armenia. There is an opinion that it has been done just to entice the Government of the Republic of Armenia 9consisting of ARF functionaries) into the laps of the Russian dominance.

 

4. Subsequently, in 1923, Karabagh has been placed under Azerbaijan by the signature of Stalin on behalf of the so called Kav-Burro (Caucasian Burro - a Communist Party Organ). Given the independence of Armenia/Caucasus from Russia at the time, legally speaking, that signature had no power. Therefore, one may conclude that Karabagh has never been part of Azerbaijan even after 1923. True, the subsequent Soviet Constitutions have described Karabagh as part of Azerbaijan, but given the totalitarian character of the Soviet Empire, there is not much legal merit in the recognition of Karabagh as part of Azerbaijan (what was good for Baltic States, which also where described as part of USSR according to the Soviet Constitution should be good for Karabagh, too.)

 

 

Therefore, I think the Minister of Foreign Affairs may be standing on robust conceptual and legal foundations.