Azerbaijan, Baku, June 23 / Trend S. Agayeva /
UN member-states supported Azerbaijan's position on the right to self-determination and the inadmissibility of its interpretations to justify territorial claims and unlawful use of force against sovereign countries.
The resolution on "Strengthening the role of mediation in peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention, and settlement" was unanimously adopted at a plenary session of the 65th session of UN General Assembly, the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN said.
Presenting the relevant project was initiated at the beginning of the year by the "Friends of mediation group." It included various UN member-states. Azerbaijan took an active part in the negotiation process as a co-author of the resolution.
Armenia's permanent representative to the UN said during the plenary session of the General Assembly that it denies the proposed resolution plan. Armenian diplomats failed in their attempts to exclude the presented principle on national territorial integrity in the resolution, which have been long in the making. When the action failed, they asked that the right of peoples to self-determination be renegotiated.
The resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly has reaffirmed its commitment to respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of all countries. It was stressed that national sovereignty and obligations of countries must be respected and observed under international law in order to ensure responsible and credible mediation.
UN member-states have rejected the Armenian delegation's arguments regarding the right of peoples to self-determination. They reaffirmed its application to people under colonial domination or foreign occupation. Azerbaijan found support on its viewpoint on the scope and subject of the right to self-determination, and the inadmissibility of interpretations to justify territorial claims and unlawful use of force against sovereign countries.
It was recognized by other countries that Azerbaijani territory is occupied and that Armenia is a key player in the current situation. Consequently, the General Assembly's resolution on strengthening mediation has once again confirmed that the right to self-determination of the Azerbaijani people was violated.
"Attention is drawn to the fact that the General Assembly explicitly referred to all its previous resolutions on the issues relating to the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention, and settlement, including mediation", the report said.
This provision clearly envisages resolution No 62/243, title "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan", adopted at the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly. In the resolution, the Assembly expressed the respect and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders. It called for the immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from all Azerbaijani territories which it occupies and expressed its support for international mediation efforts, the representative office said.
The Armenian delegation's apparent failure to mention basic principles of international law in the resolution on strengthening the role of mediation may explain the seeming nervous behavior and unabashed remarks at the plenary session of the General Assembly, the report said.
Attempts to interrupt the presentation being made by the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN supporting the resolution caused the indignation of many delegations. They expressed their outrage at Armenia's anti-democratic behavior.
Of course, the result was the adoption of important resolutions amid active support of Azerbaijan and Armenia's complete isolation in its position at the UN General Assembly.
Yerevan's official isolation on vital issues is particularly noteworthy in view of strengthening the mediation efforts and the upcoming next round of talks to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's claimed territories since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.