Articles following UN Karabagh Resolution‏

ARMENIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE KARABAKH IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE - ...

Armenian Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan has not
ruled out that Yerevan might recognize the independence of Kosovo,
adding that this situation cannot be a precedent in resolving the
Karabakh problem.

"From the legal point of view, Nagorno-Karabakh is different from all
other conflicts, and Armenia has no right to equalize or mix it [the
Karabakh conflict] with any other conflict," Sargsyan said at a
meeting with students from the Armenian State Economic University.

"Kosovo cannot be a precedent in a sense that in the foreseeable
future Armenia is not going to recognize the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh. But since we have always supported nations' rights to self-
determination, from this point of view we do welcome the independence
of Kosovo," he added.

At the same time, Sargsyan has denied that by recognizing Kosovo's
independence Armenia will spoil its relations with Russia.

"Our countries will always have friendly relations, however this does
not mean that Armenia should ignore its interests for the sake of
Russia's," the Armenian president-elect said.

"If we are friends, their interests must be dear to us, and if we
ever recognize Kosovo's independence, I do not think this could spoil
Armenian-Russian relations," Sargsyan said.

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EXPLANATION OF VOTE BY AMBASSADOR ALEJANDRO D. WOLFF, U.S. DEPUTY
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, ON DRAFT RESOLUTION: SITUATION IN OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN, TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York

The following information was released by the U.S. Mission to the
United Nations:

The political-level representatives of France, the Russian
Federation, and the United States, as Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) conflict-- jointly
proposed a set of basic principles for the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) conflict to the sides in November 2007 on the
margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid. These basic
principles are founded on the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act,
including those related to refraining from the threat or use of
force, the territorial integrity of states, and the equal rights and
self-determination of peoples. The proposal transmitted to the sides
in Madrid comprises a balanced package of principles that are
currently under negotiation. The sides have agreed that no single
element is agreed until all elements are agreed by the parties.

Unfortunately, this draft resolution selectively propagates only
certain of these principles to the exclusion of others, without
considering the Co-Chairs a proposal in its balanced entirety.

Because of this selective approach, the three OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chair countries must oppose this unilateral draft resolution. They
reiterate that a peaceful, equitable, and lasting settlement of the
NK conflict will require unavoidable compromises among the parties
that reflect the principles of territorial integrity, non-use of
force, and equal rights of peoples, as well as other principles of
international law.

While the three Minsk Group Co-Chair countries will vote against this
unilateral draft resolution, which threatens to undermine the peace
process, they reaffirm their support for the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, and thus do not recognize the independence of NK.

At a time when serious clashes have occurred along the Line of
Contact with loss of life, both sides must refrain from unilateral
and maximalist actions either at the negotiating table or in the
field.

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Interfax News Agency, Russia
March 15 2008


Moscow views UN resolution on N. Karabakh as serving only
Azerbaijan's interests
MOSCOW


Moscow views the resolution of the UN General Assembly on the
situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan passed on Friday
as a move that serves only the interests of Baku.

"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen mediating in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict voted against this document. In a joint
statement explaining the motives for this voting, they qualified this
step on the part of Azerbaijan as one-sided, untimely, and counter-
productive. It has been informed about this position repeatedly and
at different levels," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a
statement on Saturday.

"In particular, the draft resolution includes only some of the basic
settlement principles meeting only Azerbaijan's interests, without
mentioning, for example, the ultimate need to determine Nagorno-
Karabakh's status through holding a plebiscite for its population so
that it could express its will truly freely," it said.

"This approach has made the draft resolution unacceptable to Armenia
and worsened prospects for the soonest possible resumption of
top-level Armenian-Azeri talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
following the inauguration of the new Armenian president," it said.

"Russia, together with the U.S. and France, are willing to continue
the Minsk Group co-chairmen's active mediation to complete the
coordination of the basic settlement principles, which would make it
possible to return stability and calm to that region of the South
Caucasus," it said.

It was reported earlier that the delegates to the 62nd UN General
Assembly session passed a resolution proposed by Azerbaijan on the
situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by 39 votes, with
seven votes against and 100 abstentions on Friday.

[for the record, those countries that voted on the UN Resolution were:

In favor: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Colombia, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Georgia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

Against: Angola, Armenia, France, India, Russian Federation, United States, Vanuatu.]

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Interfax News Agency, Russia
March 15 2008
AZERBAIJAN TO RECONSIDER TIES WITH RUSSIA, US, FRANCE - OFFICIAL

Azerbaijan will reconsider its relations with the countries
co-chairing the OSCE Minks Group, Interfax quoted thecountry's Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov as saying on 15 March.

Azimov voiced perplexity with the fact that the three co-chairs - the
USA, France and Russia - voted against theAzerbaijan-backed
resolution on Nagornyy Karabakh at the UN General Assembly.
"Azerbaijan will reconsider and make changes to its relations with
the co-chair countries within the Minsk process," Azimov said.

He welcomed the adoption of the resolution by the UN General
Assembly. "We are satisfied with the adoption of the resolution. That
will help clarify the situation. Azerbaijan has no intention of
moving in the dark any longer. Itshould be clear to everyone that the
only solution acceptable to Azerbaijan is a solution based on the
principle ofterritorial integrity," Azimov said.

He added that the adoption of the resolution did not mean
Azerbaijan's intention to change the format of theKarabakh peace
talks, the agency reported.

Azeri official dismisses Armenian attacks on UN resolution
BAKU

An aide to Azerbaijan's president has dismissed Armenian attacks on
an Azeri-introduced UN General Assembly resolution of March 14, that
demands immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azeri
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The statements of the Armenian officials are no more than propaganda
efforts to play down this resolution and divert the attention of the
Armenian public from the domestic political crisis. Any of the
attempts at comparative quantitative analysis cannot stand up to any
criticism, not even from the point of view of Armenian propaganda
itself. It would be enough to mention the recent widely advertised
celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the recognition by the
European Parliament of the so-called anti-Armenian genocide of 1915,"
Fuad Akhundov, head of a section in the presidential executive
service, told Interfax on Saturday.

Akhundov was referring to massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire in 1915.

"I have in mind not the essence of the matter but the comparative
analysis of numerical indicators that Armenia is making in an attempt
to play down the resolution of the UN General Assembly," Akhundov
said.

The European Parliament's 1987 document declaring the 1915 massacres
an act of anti-Armenian genocide received the support of only 60 of
the legislature's 500 members. Those who voted in favor represented
France and Greece alone.

The other 10 countries that took part in the poll voted against the
document, and that meant just 10 fewer votes, Akhundov said.

The majority of European Parliament members abstained.

Friday's UN resolution was backed by 37 votes, with only seven states
voting against, Akhundov pointed out.

"It is also worth noting that in the European Parliament the genocide
motion received the support of deputies who did not have to express
the official position of their countries, whereas voting in the
General Assembly reflects the point of view not of deputies but of
states. So, if from the point of view of Armenian propaganda the
recognition of the genocide of Armenians by the European Parliament
is an important event on the European scale, yesterday's vote of the
General Assembly is much more important on the global scale. So it is
not worth trying to delude the public in their own country once
again," Akhundov said.

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ARMENIAN MINISTER CRITICAL OF AZERI-SPONSORED UN RESOLUTION

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has criticized the
Azerbaijan-sponsored UN General Assembly resolution onthe Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, Armenian Public TV has reported.

This resolution is hypocritical, will not benefit Azerbaijan and will
confuse the international community, Public TV quoted him as saying.

At the same time, he said that the UN resolution is a message aimed
at making Azerbaijan understand the moods of the international
community. It shows that the international community supports the
package that is currently on the negotiating table and prioritizes the
principle of self-determination and the territorial integrity of
states, the television quoted him as saying.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs - the USA, France and Russia - voted
against the resolution on the situation on theoccupied Azerbaijani
territories at the UN General Assembly in New York. Over 100
countries abstained from voting, 34countries voted for and seven
against the resolution. None of the member countries of the EU backed
the resolution,Armenian Public TV said.

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Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
March 16 2008
New UN Resolution is Next Victory of Azerbaijan's Diplomacy:
Department Head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration
16.03.08 17:08

Azerbaijan, Baku, 16 March / Trend News / Official Baku assesses the
UN General Assembly's adoption of the Resolution on Situation in
Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan as strengthening of Azerbaijan's
position in the international arena, said the Head of the Foreign
Relations Department of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration,
Novruz Mammadov, in his interview with AzTV channel. He described the
new UN Resolution as Azerbaijan's victory.

According to Mammadov, the Resolution will positively affect the
negotiations process as well. He considers that the issue that some
39 UN member-countries supported Baku's position means that
Azerbaijan may strengthen its position on this issue in the future as
well.

According to Mammadov, the Resolution will bring Armenia into a
desperate situation. `If to compare this Resolution with the previous
decisions on Azerbaijan, their difference is clearly seen. The
document helps strengthen Azerbaijan's position, expand its
influence, as well as is a factor of influence on the negotiations
process,' Mammadov said. In addition, he said that after UN General
Assembly's adoption of a new Resolution, the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairmen should demonstrate a concrete position on the conflict
settlement because the document says that the Co-Chairmen should
conduct their activities based on the norms and principles of the
international law and principles of territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. Mammadov said that it is a serious message to them.

Mammadov considers that the position of Armenia and the forces
supporting it weaken. `Armenian Armed Forces occupied Azerbaijani
lands and the UN Resolution requires their withdrawal from the
occupied Azerbaijani lands. The Armenian government should correctly
understand this message and demonstrate a constructive position and
take steps directed towards settling the conflict,' he said.

According to Mammadov, the Resolution will strengthen the internal
tension in Armenia and will not allow the country to continue its
unconstructive position for long.

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