Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 17
By Elena Kosolapova – Trend:
The so-called elections held in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia were denounced by international community, read an article by an Indonesian journalist, Veeramalla Anjaiah, who is the author of the book titled ‘Azerbaijan Seen from Indonesia’.
Anjaiah’s article on the illegal “elections” in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh was posted by the online journal Eurasia Review.
The author said in the article that international community, including the US, the UK, Germany, Indonesia and Turkey, strongly denounced the “elections” as illegal and declared that they would not recognize the results.
The author said major international organizations, such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union (EU), denounced the “elections” as well.
Anjaiah, saying Armenia established a puppet regime in the occupied Azerbaijani lands, noted that no country in the world, not even Armenia itself, recognizes the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of Azerbaijan,” Anjaiah’s article quoted Mahfuz Sidik, chairman of the Indonesian house of representatives’ commission for foreign affairs, as saying.
Mahfuz said the “elections” violated the principles of international law and Azerbaijan’s constitution.
A similar view was expressed by OIC Youth Indonesia President Tan Taufiq Lubis, who was quoted in the article as saying that the “elections” in the Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan would threaten the very fragile ceasefire and slow-moving peace talks.
Anjaiah also noted that the US meanwhile stated clearly that it had no intention of recognizing the “elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The United States does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent sovereign state, and we will not accept the results of the so-called elections on Sept. 13,” the author quoted the US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby as telling reporters on Sept. 11.
“The US position was backed by the EU, a powerful regional force,” said Anjaiah.
“As stated before, the European Union does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework within which “elections” are being held in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the author quoted Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, as telling Trend Sept. 5.
“Such procedures cannot prejudice the determination of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh or impact the negotiation process.”
Germany, Britain, Turkey and Ukraine issued similar statements, said the author.
He noted that Pakistan and China also condemned the illegal “elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The author also cited in his article a statement made by the Pakistani Senate’s Standing Committee on Defense, which said that the holding of these illegal “elections” is a blatant violation of international law and is thus a major blow to the peace talks.
“This is indicative of another attempt made by the Armenian side to legitimize the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and also of this country not being interested in finding a political solution to the conflict and having chosen the way of provocation and escalation,” the committee further said.
The article also included remarks made by Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hong Lei.
“It is hoped that parties concerned will find a mutually acceptable solution through consultation and dialogue based on well-recognized norms of international law and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council,” Lei told reporters Sept. 14.
Anjaiah also said the OIC, the world’s second-largest intergovernmental organization, also made clear its stance on the “elections”.
He quoted an OIC statement issued Sept. 12, which said the organization’s general secretariat, in line with its principled position, deems the so-called elections for the “self-governing bodies”, held in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, as illegal and in contravention of the resolutions of the UN Security Council, the OSCE and the OIC.
“The OSCE expressed similar sentiments,” said Anjaiah.
“We do not accept the results of these “elections” as affecting the legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and stress that they in no way prejudge the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh or the outcome of the ongoing negotiations to bring a lasting and peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the author quoted an OSCE statement.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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