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The high-level meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan scheduled for April 5 in Brussels will be dedicated to strengthening Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not and could not be directed against any third party, Spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Ani Badalyan has said.
The comments come after the Azerbaijani side said the meeting “is not inclusive,” and may push Armenia to destabilize the situation in the region.
“As for Azerbaijan’s accusations of destabilizing the situation in the region and the non-constructiveness of the Armenian side in the negotiation process, let me confirm that Armenia is ready for immediate signing of a peace treaty, border delimitation and unblocking of regional communications based on the principles already agreed with Azerbaijan,” Badalyan said in comments to Armenpress.
She reminded that the principles are as follows:
a) Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognize each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. This principle was agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022 in Prague, through the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Council President Charles Michel, then reaffirmed on May 14, 2023 and July 15, 2023 in Brussels through the mediation of EU Council President Charles Michel.
b) Delimitation and demarcation between the two countries are carried out on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration. This principle was agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022 in Prague, through the mediation of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Council President Charles Michel, then reaffirmed on May 14, 2023 and July 15, 2023 in Brussels through the mediation of EU Council President Charles Michel. This means that a new border between Armenia and Azerbaijan should not be created, but the borders that existed de jure within the framework of the USSR at the time of the adoption of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration should be reproduced on the ground. After redrawing the border, de jure territories belonging to each country must be under that country’s control.
c) Unblocking regional communications with respect to the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass, on the basis of the principle of equality and reciprocity. This principle was agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on July 15, 2023 in Brussels through the mediation of EU Council President Charles Michel. Regarding the issue, the Republic of Armenia has expressed its willingness in the “Crossroads of Peace” project, which has been widely accepted by the international community.
“Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side is delaying and undermining the peace process under various artificial pretexts, including continuously rejecting mediation proposals made by the EU and the US. Instead of complaining about inclusiveness, Azerbaijan may eventually accept the proposals to meet at the level of foreign ministers in Washington, and at the level of heads of state in Brussels. Perhaps it is also appropriate to mention the ongoing actions by Azerbaijan, the efforts to leave Armenia out of regional projects, to undermine the principle of inclusiveness in every possible way, a vivid example of which is the obstruction of Armenia’s participation in the Black Sea electric cable project,” the Spokesperson said.
The Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has recommended that Kosovo* be invited to become a member of the Council of Europe.
Approving a draft Opinion during a meeting held today in Paris, based on a report by Dora Bakoyannis (Greece, EPP/CD), the committee welcomed an extensive list of commitments made in writing by the Kosovo authorities and pointed out that “membership would lead to the strengthening of human rights standards by ensuring access to the European Court of Human Rights for all those who are under Kosovo’s jurisdiction”.
The full Assembly – bringing together parliamentarians from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe – is due to debate the committee’s recommendation on Thursday 18th April˚ during its forthcoming spring plenary session, when it will vote on a final Opinion on Kosovo’s application for membership. The final decision on membership is taken by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.
Membership of the Council of Europe would “catalyse momentum for Kosovo to continue to make progress in strengthening human rights, democracy and the rule of law and address outstanding challenges and matters of concern”, the committee pointed out, citing issues such as the gap between normative standards and their effective implementation, the need to improve the protection of the rights of non-majority communities, and fostering a climate conducive to trust, reconciliation and inclusion.
The committee welcomed as “a major breakthrough” the implementation of the Constitutional Court’s judgment in the case of the Visoki Dečani monastery, adding that the establishment of the Assocation of Serb majority municipalities should be a “post-accession commitment” for Kosovo which would help to ensure the protection of the rights of Kosovo Serbs, and that expropriations should be conducted “in the strictest respect of the law” and in full compliance with the Ahtisaari Plan.
Noting the deterioration in the security situation in Kosovo’s northern municipalities, the committee pointed out that “the risk of open violence in Kosovo is all too real”, and said that security depended on “the protection of the rights of the Serb community, the de-escalation of tensions and the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia”.
Acknowledging the “unprecedented circumstances” of the application, given that a number of Council of Europe member states do not recognise Kosovo as a state, the committee called for “diplomacy, dialogue and compromise”, and invited the Committee of Ministers to ensure that Kosovo’s membership was “without prejudice to individual member states’ positions as regards the statehood of Kosovo”.
The committee also recommended that the Assembly open a monitoring procedure for Kosovo, to ensure compliance with its commitments and obligations, as from its accession.
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NPR News: 03-27-2024 2PM EDT
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