Genre crisis of Sargsyan’s speechwriters

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Political debate started on September 24th at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. 195 speakers from the UN member and observer states will express their opinion till October 1st. The main topics on the agenda are the military conflicts in Iraq and Syria, the political crisis in Ukraine, the situation in Palestine and stable economic development.

President of Armenia Serge Sargsyan spoke on the first day of the debate. He touched on problems which concerned Yerevan. Of course he paid special attention to settlement of the Karabakh conflict. However, those who are aware of the Karabakh topic have a strange feeling of déjà vu from the President’s speech. But it wasn’t a mystery – the ideas in Serge Sargsyan’s speech were copied from an article by Vladimir Kazimirov, which was written 10 years ago. In the mid-1990s he headed the Russian mediation mission on Nagorno-Karabakh, even though the mission didn’t achieve any results. Experts noted that Kazimirov tended to a pro-Armenian position rather than neutral during his work.

In 2014 Sargsyan, like Kazimirov in 2004, focused on fulfillment and non-fulfillment of four resolutions of the UNSC on Karabakh (822, 853, 874, and 884) which were adopted from April 30th to November 12th 1993.

Sargsyan-2014

All four resolutions required an initial and unconditional demand – a ceasefire and halt to military activities. The demand was not implemented by Azerbaijan. The resolutions couldn’t be implemented to the full extent because Azerbaijan didn’t fulfil the basic demands.

Kazimirov-2004

Azerbaijan didn’t fulfil the basic principles of the resolutions of the UNSC – a ceasefire, halt to military activities and hostilities. And this negatively influences implementation of other requirements…

Of course there are no sinless sides, but of course Azerbaijan takes the lead in non-fulfillment of the resolutions.

Sargsyan-2014

Requirements of the resolutions include: reconstruction of economic and communication contacts and energy cooperation in the region (resolution 853), elimination of obstacles to reconstruction of roads (resolution 874). No secret that since the beginning of the conflict Azerbaijan and Turkey issued blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

Kazimirov-2004

The UNSC resolutions have some other requirements and demands which remain unfulfilled: a. “reconstruction of economic, transport and energy contacts in the region” (853); b. “elimination of all obstacles for communications and transport” (874). Since the beginning of the conflict, Azerbaijan used the total blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, accusing Armenia of a blockade of Nakhichevan. To fulfil the requirements, it demands withdrawal of Armenian troops from its lands as a precondition. Moreover, Baku broke off contacts with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in all spheres.

Sargsyan-2014

The SC resolutions urge Azerbaijan to build direct contacts with Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan not only didn’t build direct contacts with Nagorno-Karabakh, which is an equal side of the peacemaking of 1994 and other international agreements, but spread hatred in the nation which was said to be a welcoming part of the Azerbaijani state.

Armenia is not mentioned as a side of the conflict in any resolution. They urge our country to “continue to influence” the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (853, 884) for settlement of the conflict; Armenia has completely fulfilled the demands; and due to the Armenian side the ceasefire treaty was signed in 1994. It was Nagorno-Karabakh that was mentioned as a side in the conflict.

Kazimirov-2004

… Direct contacts with Nagorno-Karabakh, despite resolutions 853, 874, and 884, were broken off by Baku in late 1993. The resolutions state that the party of the conflict is “local Armenian forces” (822), “the Armenians of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan” (853, 884). And direct contacts required contacts between Baku and Stapanakert (many times ceasefire agreements under mediation of Russia are mentioned; and all of them were signed in 1993 by Stapanakert; Yerevan didn’t participate in them). Separately, all four resolutions stated that relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia had worsened. But Armenia wasn’t called a side in the conflict. It was demanded to “continue to influence” the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (853, 884). Nagorno-Karabakh is a side in the conflict, but it is called an interested party or a party (853, 874, 884).

For more than 20 years, 20% of Azerbaijani territory, i.e. Nagorno-Karabakh and the nearby seven regions, have been occupied by Armenian forces. Genocide took place on the occupied territories; more than a million Azerbaijanis were expelled from their homelands.

And today the side which Serge Sargsyan opposes, using the ideas of Vladimir Kazimirov, urges the international community to understand the threats of ignoring ethnic separatism and militant nationalism, occupation of foreign lands for democracy and independence in the world.