Armenian MPs comment on European experts’ pro-Azerbaijani position at Tallin hearing on frozen conflicts

The speeches by Sabine Freizer, Director of the Europe Program, International Crisis Group, as well as by other European experts, at the hearing on frozen conflicts in Tallin, Estonia, showed clear tendencies to present the OSCE Minsk Group as a failed format for the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Naira Zohrabyan, Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) parliamentary group, who represented Armenia at the hearing, told Tert.am.
 
Moreover, Sabine Freizer voiced an opinion challenging the viability of the negotiated principles.

“She spoke of the need to think of not only changing the OSCE Minsk Group’s mandate, but also the fundamental principles that have proved viable,” Zohrabyan said.

She noted that the speeches were delivered during the discussion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The point is that, aware of the anti-Russian atmosphere, the Russian side boycotted the discussions of the Abkhazian and Ossetian conflicts. The discussion proved to be rather calm, whereas the Nagorno-Karabakh issue “had to bear the whole burden.”

Sabine Freizer also stated that both Armenia and Azerbaijan make bellicose statements.

Both Naira Zohrabyan and Armen Rustamyan (Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun – ARF-D), both of whom participated in the hearing, presented the Armenian side’s position.

“[Sabine Freizer] distorted the facts, and I could not but tell Ms Freizer that she, to put it mildly, was not right,” Zohrabyan said.

In her speech she stated that Armenia’s leaders have never made any bellicose statements or resorted to militant rhetoric. Armenia does not want war. Azerbaijan is on the wrong way if they think they can frighten Armenia.

“I stated that we had seen Azerbaijani soldiers’ morale when a brute murdered a sleeping Armenian officer in Budapest,” Zohrabyan said. Despite the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ efforts, the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process has not shown progress because Azerbaijan keeps on rejecting the mediators’ proposals.

As regards Azerbaijan’s efforts to get the OSCE Minsk Group format of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace replaced with a new one, Zohrabyan stressed that Armenia accepts the fundamental principles of the U.N. Charter and is willing to continue peaceful negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group.

Zohrabyan invited the participants in the hearing to visit Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Go there and, I assure you, you will see peaceable people building up their democratic future,” she said.

Pro-Azerbaijani speeches are not a surprise for Armenia.

“Once more, Azerbaijan preferred using its lobbyists to acting on its own behalf. We are well aware of the position held by the aforementioned deputies that are part of Azerbaijani lobby and by their Europe-based international protégés experts,” Zohrabyan said.

Armen Rustamyan, in turn, drew parallels between Nagorno-Karabakh and Kosovo.

He wonders why the declaration of Kosovo’s independence is considered to be in conformity with international principles, whereas Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence is not considered to be such.

PACE Co-Rapporteur on Azerbaijan Pedro Agramunt and “the notorious lobbyist Ilyinsky” made pro-Azerbaijani speeches.

On the other hand, Co-Rapporteur on Armenia John Prescott criticized Azerbaijan for the lack of democracy.