Interview to the Armenian Mirror Spectator

 

" What was Armenia's reaction to the September 11 terrorist events? How did it affect Armenia?

The immediate reaction was an outpouring of grief and anger, and determination to help the victims of the attack. The National Assembly was in session as the reports of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon came in (it was 6 p.m. Yerevan time). Out of respect for the victims of the tragedy, the Armenian parliamentarians observed a moment of silence and adjourned for the day. The tragedy unfolded before the TV audience in real time. The President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and the Defense Minister sent messages of sympathy to their American counterparts.

President Kocharian said in his September 11 message to President Bush that "the evil of terrorism… should be confronted with determination and resolve." Catholicos Garegin II has also sent a message of sympathy and prayers to President Bush on this tragedy. A special memorial service was held by His Holiness in the Etchmiatsin Cathedral on Sunday, September 17, in the memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks. Yerevan's citizens brought flowers and wreaths to the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan. During the celebratory events on September 21 - the Decade of Independence - and the 1700th anniversary, a moment of silence was observed in the memory of the victims.

Armenia's position is that the terrorism events of September 11 are an attack on the civilization and democracies anywhere in the world, an attack that requires a concerted and resolute answer from the international community. Armenia has offered use of its airspace, intelligence resources, and other support in assistance to the U.S.-led effort against the international terrorism. After the U.S. began strikes against terrorist targets in Afghanistan, Armenia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement of support and reiterated Armenia's readiness to combat terrorism. Armenia's offer of assistance in the fight against the international terrorism is unconditional, unlike Azerbaijan's.

" What is the Armenian position on some legislative initiatives in the U.S. Senate to repeal Section 907?

We understand that there are efforts underway in U.S. Congress to repeal or waive Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. As a reminder, this provision specifically prohibits assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan until it removes its blockade of Armenia and Artsakh, and renounces use of force in settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

It is obvious that Azerbaijan will never relax its economic blockade of Armenia. Even though Armenia has expressed readiness to trade with Azerbaijan or participate in regional economic projects, Azerbaijan has blocked all similar initiatives. In the past six months, we have witnessed an uninterrupted series of war-mongering and bellicose statements from all political parties and government leaders in Azerbaijan. So, the two conditions that U.S. Congress has set in Section 907 have not been met.

As Representative Ben Gilman said at the October 10 hearings in the House International Relations Committee, there are many hitchhikers on the trail of campaign to combat international terrorism. The Government of Azerbaijan demanded that Section 907 be repealed, as a condition of its support of the U.S.-led campaign. This is despite the fact that al-Qaeda's cell have been operating in Azerbaijan. Incidentally, Azerbaijan has a history of cooperating with the Afghanistan-based radical Islamist groups. In 1993-1994, more than a thousand of radical extremists have been used as mercenaries by the Government of Azerbaijan in its military campaign against the Armenian people of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Armenia is, obviously, not involved in the U.S. legislative process. We are, nevertheless, deeply concerned about the inevitable consequences of altering Section 907. We believe that Section 907 has been an important element in containing Azerbaijan's aggression. Repealing Section 907 will be perceived by Azerbaijan as validation of its recent bellicose statements, and could undermine the ceasefire regime and destabilize the whole region.

" What are the current prospects for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement?

There has been no progress since the presidential summits in Paris and Key-West, FL, because Azerbaijan retreated from the principles of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict that were agreed to in Paris last March. Moreover, the statements of President Aliyev, his Defense Minister, other members of the government, and the opposition parties indicate that Azerbaijan prefers to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by use of force, a goal they fell so short of in 1992-1994. The irresponsible statements by the Azerbaijani politicians have had the effect of igniting war hysteria and contribute to the idea of inevitability of the resumption of hostilities in this conflict.

The ceasefire regime on Artaskh-Azerbaijan line of conflict is based on the goodwill of all parties, and the war propaganda in Azerbaijan will undermine the confidence in its ability to abide by the ceasefire regime. So, we hope that Azerbaijan will realize that the resumption of hostilities will not be of benefit to any party to the conflict.

Armenia remains committed to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group process. The State Department has a new Negotiator on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Amb. Rudolf Perina, who replaced Amb. Carey Cavanaugh. We hope that the Minsk Group Co-Chairs will be able to visit the region in the near future, and that they will be able to reinvigorate the settlement process.