On September 12 in Paris within the frameworks of the Ad-hoc Committee set up in order to apply the PACE 14-16 Resolution discussions on Nagorno Karabakh conflict were held, about which Tigran Torosyan, NA Vice President, head of the Armenian delegation presented details on them.

On September 12 in Paris within the frameworks of the Ad-hoc Committee set up in order to apply the PACE 14-16 Resolution hearings on Nagorno Karabakh were held. Dennis Sammut, Executive Director of the London Information Network on Conflicts and State-Building (LINKS) NGO, who is also known to the Armenian community with his activity within the frameworks of South Caucasus parliamentary initiative, presented a historical essay on the conflict background and current situation. The report was interesting and balanced, and formed an objective picture on the conflict, then Varuzhan Nersisyan, head of the OSCE division of RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the stances of Armenia on the process and settlement perspectives. The same should do Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who, however, instead of presenting his country’s viewpoint, presented his own views. Then OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Passier (France) and Merzlyakov, as well Mann (USA) gave speeches. The main idea that sounded in the co-chairs’ speech was the following: it’s not possible to solve the problem based only on territorial integrity or principles of nations’ self-determination, the two principles of Helsinki agreement should be applied in connection with so called “occupied areas” and the right to self-determination in the matter related to the status. Then Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Goran Lennmarker, OSCE PA Special Representative on Nagorno Karabakh conflict gave speeches. The latter repeated the ideas of his well-known report, emphasizing the solution of giving wide autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh. The heads of Minsk Group in South Caucasus, the other members of the committee, Heikki Talvitie, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus also presented their viewpoints. Among the speakers it’s worth to mention Konstantin Kosachev’s (head of RF delegation) speech, he noted that the conflicts have different reasons and backgrounds, and should have different solutions, at the same time he underscored that the Council of Europe should not copy the OSCE activity, but should take into account the solution and territorial integrity and the right of self-determination. The head of the Turkish delegation tried to repeat the legend of Azerbaijan about the 20% of the Azeri territory but was mixed up, and in future tried to give other figures. The head of the Armenian delegation in PACE and Shavarsh Kocharyan, opposition representative, the other member from Armenia in the committee also gave speeches from Armenia. Mr. Torosyan presented that a few issues of principle is very important in connection with the settlement of the problem: the first is the distinct separation of the difference of the mandates by the PACE and in general Council of Europe and OSCE Minsk Group, the Minsk Group should be involved with the problems of the conflict settlement, and CE should be involved with the formation of the necessary atmosphere for the settlement of the problem. That problem fully and in general complies with CE mandate and the obligations of Armenia and Azerbaijan before CE. At the same time the deepening of the European Integration in the region is of great importance for providing peaceful solution of the conflict. It was noted that a direct picture is necessary on the fact that without the representatives of the Karabakh Republic during the settlement process and adoption of the decisions, it won’t be possible to provide the positive result of that process in any way. At the same time a distinct view is necessary that without applying the principle of the nations’ self-determination the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not possible. It was especially emphasized that the establishment of the observing mechanisms for the fulfillment of the proposals of 14-16 Resolution is very important in order to have it clear who from the parties fulfills those proposals in a way as it proposed in the Resolution and who fail in it, and at that time it will be easier to clarify who’s responsible for what. In response to the Azeris’ some inquiries, Mr.Kocharyan brought forth numerous facts on the statements of war campaign, i.e. the items, which evidently contradict the soul of 14-16 Resolution. There were several inquiries on Aland Islands in connection with Nagorno Karabakh problem, on which the head of the Armenian delegation presented that when such inquiry was made to Arkady Ghukasyan, President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, he clearly answered that we’re ready to sign just now the agreement on the possible maximum autonomy, only… being in Finland. It can be supposed that the presentation of the problem half joking and half serious made visible for many people that the conflicts are really different, are of different nature, different preconditions, and it’s senseless to mechanically move the solution of any conflict to another conflict.

Numerous inquiries sounded in connection with the approaches of Azerbaijan, in particular on the increase of the military expenses and war-like statements. Summing up these discussions, one should point out a few facts: first, that it’s very important that in such structures already the Minsk Group co-chairs and not only them, but the members of the Ad-hoc Committee began to speak about the necessity of applying the principle of the nations’ self-determination. Second important circumstance is that the opinion was that the mandates of the Council of Europe and OSCE should be separated.

After the discussion the committee continued its work, and it was decided that the next meeting will be in December, but before that during the October session a meeting of the Armenian and Azeri delegations is necessary to discuss the future works. In connection with the future activities of the committee everybody mentions the works of the committee related to the fulfillment of the proposals within the frameworks of 14-16 Resolution, and none of them tries to move the activities of the committee on the plane of the conflict solution.