Anti-Armenian Draft Resolutions Contradict the Principles Declared by PACE

• 01.25.2016, 15:51
• Arpine Hovsepyan
•  Europe,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  Armenia

The draft resolutions by Robert Walter and Milica Marković, basically, are an attempt to transfer the question of Karabakh conflict to another platform. This time that platform is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). However, these Parliamentarians, who serve the interests of a third country do not even realize that such an ineffective and destructive approach contradicts the principles declared by the Assembly.

The abovementioned delegates forget that in 2001, when Azerbaijan and Armenia joined the Council of Europe, they pledged to use only peaceful means to solve the Karabakh conflict. In its 221 (2000) and 222 (2000) Conclusions PACE indicated that "the accession of Armenia and Azerbaijan could assist to establish an atmosphere of trust that is essential for the resolution of Karabakh conflict." But now instead of initiatives aimed at building trust among the conflicting sides, PACE winter session agenda includes draft resolutions that are distorting the reality. Moreover, offering, as Walter puts it, "the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces and other irregular armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the establishment of full sovereignty of Azerbaijan in these territories", the British deputy completely distorts the obligations that Armenia and Azerbaija assumed when joining the Council of Europe in January 2001, as neither those Parliamentarians, nor PACE or other organization can ensure that it would not lead to a new escalation of the conflict.

On the one hand, this kind of draft resolutions can no way contribute to the establishment of the atmosphere of confidence. The main function of PACE in such situation should be the support in developing confidence-building measures among the conflicting sides, as well as in the whole region.

The issue was raised by Armenia during its accession to the Council of Europe. In particular, in 1999 the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Khosrov Haroutounyan came up with an initiative for establishing a parliamentary cooperation of South Caucasian countries under the auspices of PACE. On March 15, 1999, the Speakers of the Parliaments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in Strasbourg adopted a joint declaration, announcing the establishment of a dialogue at parliamentary level. South Caucasian republics were hopeful that this format, to be created under the auspices of PACE, would help in developing regional cooperation and creating an atmosphere of confidence. By joining the Council of Europe, the South Caucasian republics wanted to see CoE’s support for eliminating the atmosphere of hatred and building a lasting peace. Meanwhile, the discussion of political biased reports can no way serve this purpose.

On the other hand, in its documents PACE has repeatedly stressed that "the Parliamentary Assembly considers that the OSCE Minsk Group is the most optimum framework for negotiating a peaceful settlement to this conflict." From this point of view the transfer of the question of Karabakh conflict to another platform does not comply with the PACE principles and threatens to disrupt the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. This fact was also emphasized in the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs statements on November 12 and January 22.

These draft resolutions threaten to further destabilize the situation in the whole South Caucasus. PACE should realize this danger, as well.