UN General Assembly to debate new Karabakh resolutions

By Asbarez | Wednesday, 29 July 2009

UNITED NATIONS (Trend.az)-The 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly may debate two Azeri drafted resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azeri Trend News Agency reported, quoting the UN Press Office.

The two resolutions to be brought to the floor for a vote are named:"Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development" and "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan", the UN Press Office told Trend.

According to Trend, the press office said the two resolutions were been considered by the General Assembly at its 63rd session, and thus remain on the agenda for the upcoming session. Their inclusion in the provisional agenda of the 64th session is subject to any action the Assembly may take on it at its 63rd session and the exact time at which these resolutions are to be discussed will be determined at the end of September.

Azerbaijan has long sought to exploit its alliances in the United Nations to pass resolutions in the UN favouring its position on Karabakh. Baku hopes to bolster its case in the peace process by establishing a paper trail of relevant documents supporting its alleged claims to Karabakh.

On March 14, as Armenia was in a state of emergency, Azerbaijan succeeded in pushing for an adoption of a resolution "reaffirming the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, demanding withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories there".

The non-binding resolution was adopted by a vote of 39 in favour to 7 against. The US, Russia and France voting against the resolution, and stressed the importance of continued mediation efforts through the OSCE Minsk Group, which they co-chair. They were joined by Armenia, Angola, India, and Vanuatu in voting against it. Over 150 countries abstained or did not vote.

Armenia's then foreign minister, Vartan Oskanian, condemned the resolution as "bogus" and "hypocritical". Armenia has long maintained that the UN is not the proper venue for discussion or resolution of the Karabakh conflict as it is under mediation by the OSCE Minsk Group.

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