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Re: Artsakh newsletter
MEDIA ALERT: FOREIGN POLICY JOURNAL PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON KARABAKH CONFLICT
DATE: May 3, 2012
TO: Media Colleagues
RE: FOREIGN POLICY JOURNAL PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON KARABAKH CONFLICT
On May 3, 2012, Foreign Policy Journal published an article by Hovhannes Nikoghosyan.
Named “A War That Has Been Neglected Since 1994”, the publication covers issues of regional security and stability in the context of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, violations of cease fire regime as well as international involvement to prevent further escalation.
The full text of the article is provided below. You can also view it online at:
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Foreign Policy Journal
A War That Has Been Neglected Since 1994 by Hovhannes Nikoghosyan May 3, 2012
Using the infamous quote of former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, this story below is about “a quarrel in faraway countr[ies] between people of whom we know nothing”. And this is not about Europe of late 1930’s, but about the periphery of Europe of 2012. I marked this quote listening to a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Northern Ireland, Mr. John McCallister, who was delivering a speech about the conflict settlement process in Northern Ireland at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)-hosted Ministerial conference in Dublin on April 27. Fortunately enough for all Irishmen, who suffered three decades of Troubles in their recent history, through the inclusive contribution of international mediators, and chief of them US Senator George Mitchell, as well as the maturity of the leaderships in London, Belfast, and Dublin, they became able to seal the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
When foreign diplomats or my fellow colleagues from political science disciplines elaborate on commonalities between the conflict in Ulster and others in, for example, the former Soviet Union areas, including Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both now partially recognized by few states), and Transdniestria, I always pinpoint on two key differences: a) decisive international involvement; and b) maturity of political and community leaderships.
A smoldering conflict is often not about absence of any peace initiatives. It is substantially about an unwillingness of either of the parties to commit to negotiated agreements once out of the meeting room. This is especially true about the peace talks on Nagorno Karabakh, where the geography of negotiations since the ceasefire was established in 1994 (and even between the war of 1992-94) covers the most beautiful cities on the planet—Rome, Helsinki, Prague, Lisbon, Moscow, Paris, Key West, Madrid, etc.—while any progress is hardly visible. A “no war, no peace” situation has been the only and appreciated result of peace talks, which is now under increasing risk to erupt into conflict as both sides are engaged in a Cold war-style “deterrence” with extensive military buildup.[1]
Instead of going into the substance of current talks, here I want to offer another key difference, which still makes it impossible to heal wounds of enmity.
One of the most tragic events in the Troubles, “Bloody Sunday” of January 1972, may serve as an example to show one difference between Great Britain and Azerbaijan—two metropolises that had been trying to keep their conflict regions inside the common area. While after “Bloody Sunday” the Westminster immediately rushed into whitewashing the tragedy and justifying the killings of mostly unarmed civilian protesters in the streets of Derry, the Tony Blair Cabinet established the so-called Saville Inquiry in 1998, which came out with a final report in 2010 and contained rightful and lawful elaborations on the “usual suspects”. This bloody event might be much similar to what happened in Sumgayit, a town in still Soviet Azerbaijan in February 1988, where Armenians were being executed for the sake of their ethnic origins, just because few days before, on February 20, the legislature in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) capital Stepanakert applied with a petition to the Kremlin to re-join Soviet Armenia. The same policy of pogroms against Armenians later unfolded in Baku, Kirovabad, and other cities and villages of Azerbaijan in the late years of the Soviet Union’s existence. Though the Soviets staged some prosecutions to punish anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgayit (and not anywhere else), only few suspects got prison terms for “hooliganism and mass riots”. Instead of blaming and shaming for the ethnic cleansings, which might have put the follow-up events into another channel, most suspects were freed in the courtrooms or sentenced to conditional terms. Absence of any “Saville Inquiry”, and moreover a policy of whitewashing the history and blaming Armenians themselves “for provocations that led to pogroms”, is what qualitatively distinguishes the Karabakh case from the success story in Northern Ireland. This is what I think the next similar conference, hosted by Irish Chairmanship of the OSCE, will need to address.
Before conflicting diplomats and mediators may come to terms for conflict resolution, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Nagorno Karabakh are still fighting.
The official releases from the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on April 27 that the Azerbaijani army has been shelling with sniper and artillery fire the borderland villages of Tavush region in Armenia, including onto a school and kindergarten.[2] Three soldiers of the Armenian army are reported to have been killed, another one wounded. Azerbaijani officials and the media indirectly confirmed the incident.[3] The Armenian Foreign Ministry urgently asked the Personal Representative of OSCE CiO to dispatch an emergency monitoring mission to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.[4] The two OSCE observers were already in place on April 30 and recorded the incidents carefully.
Recalling the vocabulary of the so-called Caroline affair, common in international law to describe justifications of legitimate self-defense, now the threat to Armenian frontlines is imminent. Immanency is vested on daily violations of ceasefire regime, including the recent shelling upon the borderland school and kindergarten, where ordinary civilians must enjoy the protection of their government against any threat to their life and health by any force— internal or external. This quite simple erga omnes obligation is enshrined in any Constitution across the globe, which gave rise to “Responsibility to Protect”, or R2P doctrine, affirmed by UN Security Council in Resolution 1674 (2006). As parliamentary elections in Armenia are due on May 6, this inflammable situation is specifically bold and affects the domestic political stability and threatens the national security more than ever, leaving for this tiny country in the Caucasus no other option than to engage militarily.[5]
Serzh Sargsyan, the President of Armenia, has already manifested an “inevitable” and devastating answer to punish for the ceasefire violation,[6] while OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs (in attendance to OSCE Dublin conference on April 27) rushed to urge the parties “to abstain from retaliatory measures”.[7] The co-Chairs, who have attracted much criticism for a long time now, didn’t utter anything about strengthening the ceasefire regime monitoring capabilities. When there are no early warning mechanisms or permanent observer missions established on site, the sides will always remain prone to resuming the conflict.
This is exactly the time when the international community should urge Azerbaijan to comply with long-negotiated confidence-building measures – pulling back snipers[8] and allowing installation of ceasefire violation mechanisms to avoid any new escalation that the region is obviously rushing into while international conferences discuss “success stories”.
Notes
[1] Military expenditure in the South Caucasus; Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 2011: http://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2011/f...04-04A-04B.pdf
[2] News.am agency, 26/04/2012: http://news.am/eng/news/102879.html
[3] News.az agency, 30.04.2012 (in Russian): http://1news.az/politics/karabakh/20...015641090.html
[4] News.am agency, 28/04/2012: http://news.am/eng/news/103258.html
[5] Panarmenian News Agency, 28/04/2012,: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/105253/
[6] Panorama.am News Agency, 27/04/2012: http://www.panorama.am/en/society/20...-sargsyan-mil/
[7] Statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, 27 April 2012: http://www.osce.org/mg/90140
[8] Armenia ‘Still Ready’ For Sniper Withdrawal In Karabakh, RFE/RL, November 25, 2011: http://www.rferl.org/content/snipers.../24402333.htmlLeave a comment:
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Re: Artsakh newsletter
this could half the travel time by 2. great news.Originally posted by Eddo211 View PostLeave a comment:
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Re: Artsakh newsletter
April 1-15, 2012
Artsakh Newsletter summarizes key developments in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh and is prepared by the NKR Office in the United States.
SECURITY & POLITICS
U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton restated U.S. support for withdrawal of snipers from the Karabakh Line of Contact. Unlike Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan has rebuffed this suggestion by international mediators that can reduce tensions and casualties.
Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan again noted Azerbaijan's lack of desire to solve the Karabakh conflict. He also ruled out Turkey's role in the peace process.
Meeting with OSCE Minsk Group mediators, Nalbandyan highlighted the negative effect of Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian propaganda on the negotiation process.
Artsakh’s incumbent president Bako Sahakyan declared his intention to run for a second term in office in presidential elections this July.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Sotk-Karvachar, the third highway to link Artsakh to Armenia, is nearly completed.
Artsakh continues to pursue the policy of energy independence. At present, NKR ensures around 70 percent of its energy needs through local sources.
Artsakh president visited Askeran and Martakert regions to convene working consultation on the issues of the regions’ development.
SOCIETY
Artsakh president Bako Sahakyan congratulated NKR police officers on their professional day, stressing that Artsakh has one of the lowest criminal rates in the world, in part through the effective and dedicated work of Artsakh police officers.
Anastasia Taylor-Lind’s “The National Womb: Baby Boom in Nagorno-Karabakh” project won the prestigious Project Award 2012, organized by CENTER, a non-profit photographic organization.
A new documentary by Marina Grigoryan and Larisa Alaverdyan on Maragha massacre was presented to the public.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE
April 10 marked the 20th anniversary of the one of the bloodiest chapters of the Karabakh war. On April 10, 1992, Azerbaijani military units invaded the village of Maragha in Mardakert district. As a result of the aggression, hundreds of Maragha civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly person, were brutally killed, taken hostage or forcefully displaced. The fate of a number of them still remains unknown. Two weeks after the massacre, on April 22-23, the village was repeatedly attacked and locals who had come back to their burnt homes were forced to abandon the village, which has since been occupied by Azerbaijan. Baroness Caroline Cox, former vice speaker of the British parliament's House of Lord, visited Maragha area a few days after tragedy. She expressed her horror at the crime saying "They are not of human race" about those who carried out the slaughter, lately described in her book "Ethnic Cleansing in Progress”.
About the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh
The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, was established in 1991 basing on a declaration of the local legislature, and results of a subsequent nation-wide referendum. The people of Artsakh defended their choice in a war unleashed by Azerbaijan. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh has emerged as a democratic, rule-of-law state with capable armed forces, a growing market economy, and an independent foreign policy.
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We would like to hear from you. Please send your comments to Press Service at: [email protected]
Please visit our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtsakhOnline
***
This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States on behalf of the government of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S. government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia and the public representing the official policies and interests of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S. Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States
1334 G ST. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 223-4330; Email: [email protected] Web: www.nkrusa.orgLeave a comment:
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Artsakh newsletter
March 15-31, 2012
Artsakh Newsletter summarizes key developments in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, and is prepared by the NKR Office in the United States.
SECURITY & POLITICS
In a message timed to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the OSCE Minsk Group President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan thanked leaders of Russia, France and the United States for their consistent efforts to find peaceful settlement of NK conflict.
Foreign Ministers of the three Minsk Group Co-Chair countries issued a statement urging the conflicting sides to “prepare their populations for peace, not war.” Artsakh and Armenia welcomed the statement.
Acting foreign minister of NKR highlighted non-constructive position of Azerbaijan and their policy of xenophobia directed against all Armenians as main obstacles for conflict resolution.
Arrtsakh condemned the suggestion to replace France in the OSCE Minsk Group that can endanger the whole negotiation process.
More than 30 Congressmen called for an increase in U.S. aid to Artsakh, strengthening restrictions on aid to Azerbaijan, returning NKR to the negotiation table, and more contacts with Artsakh officials.
Hundreds of Canadian-Armenians from all over the country held a demonstration at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ottawa to protest against continuing anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan, including aggression, intimidation and hostility towards Armenians.
Artsakh Republic's next presidential elections have been scheduled for July 19, 2012.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
NKR government and Valex group agreed on new large mining project at the Kashen, Martakert region. The group is going to invest around $80 million for this project.
Artsakh president convened working consultation on socio-economic issues of Hadrut region.
SOCIETY
More than 11 thousands foreign visitors traveled to Artsakh during last year, which is about 30 percent more in comparison with 2010, informs NKR Foreign Ministry.
Artsakh's capital Stepanakert is preparing for the Triple Victory Day's celebration on May 9. The capital's Renaissance Square is under intensive reconstruction to host a number of foreign guests and participants of festive events.
Further cooperation between the universities of Armenia and Artsakh was discussed during a visit by Armenia’s education minister Armen Ashotyan.
Artsakh government is continuing to compensate deposits of its citizens that were devalued following the Soviet collapase. “ArtsakhBank” is administering the program.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE
On March 21, 2012, the Council of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) met in Helsinki and issued a statement calling for a special conference in Minsk, Belarus on the issue of Nagorno Karabakh with the involvement of Artsakh representatives as a party to the conflict. Although the conference itself was never convened, the initiative laid a foundation for the establishment of the main mediation format, the OSCE Minsk Group that spearheads the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Since 1997 France, Russia and the United States have co-chaired the Minsk Group.
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About the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh
The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, was established in 1991 basing on a declaration of the local legislature, and results of a subsequent nation-wide referendum. The people of Artsakh defended their choice in a war unleashed by Azerbaijan. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh has emerged as a democratic, rule-of-law state with capable armed forces, a growing market economy, and an independent foreign policy.
***
We would like to hear from you. Please send your comments to the Press Service at: [email protected]
Please visit our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtsakhOnline
Follow us on the Facebook: Office of Artsakh in the USA
***
This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States on behalf of the government of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S. government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia and the public representing the official policies and interests of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S. Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States
1334 G ST. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 223-4330; Email: [email protected] Web: www.nkrusa.org
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