Permanent Representation of France to the OSCE
Schwartzenbergplatz 16
1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43-1 501 82-0
Fax: +43-1 501 82-509
Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the OSCE
Erzherzog Karl Str. 182
1220 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43-1 280 27 62
Fax: +43-1 280 31 90
United States Mission to the OSCE
Obersteinergasse 11/1
1190 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43-1 31 339
Fax: +43-1 36 863 85
Dear OSCE Secretariat,
We are outraged and speak strongly against the unilateral and sole usage of
the name "Stepanakert" in the latest OSCE press release datelined in
Yerevan (OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs issue statement, October 1, 2009, http://www.osce.org/item/40030.html) instead of the legal and historical
name of this Azerbaijani city, Khankendi, in the Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan. The Soviet-imposed name of Stepanakert was done only in 1923,
meanwhile, since about 1750, name of the city has been Khankandi (Hankandi).
It has been restored since Azerbaijan's re-establishment of sovereignty in
1989 and then independence in 1991.
Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was and is a legitimate part of the Azerbaijan
Republic. Karabakh, and seven other regions are illegally occupied by the
Republic of Armenia. The puppet leaders and regime(s) of some
self-proclaimed "NKR" entity are recognized by no state and lack any
legitimacy whatsoever. In its resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993)
and 884 (1993), the UN Security Council (including all three Minsk Group
co-chairs, France, Russia and the United States) unequivocally reaffirmed
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and
particularly reconfirmed that the Nagorny Karabakh region was an integral
part of Azerbaijan.
Moreover, Armenia itself accepted and recognized the fact that the Nagorny
Karabakh region is a part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, having
unconditionally joined the consensus in adopting, for instance, General
Assembly resolution 49/13(1994) entitled "Cooperation between the United
Nations and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe", paragraph
8 of which read as follows: "The General Assembly fully supports the
activities of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe aimed at
achieving a peaceful solution to the conflict in and around the Nagorny
Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan and to alleviate the tension
between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and welcomes
cooperation between the United Nations and the Conference in this regard."
We ask that OSCE corrects this massive omission and error on the part of its
secretariat in Yerevan, Armenia, and replaces the old Soviet-imposed name of
Stepanakert with the correct, legal and historic name of Khankendi. It is
unbecoming of an intergovernmental organization such as OSCE to use illegal
and objectionable toponyms and names, particularly when its member nations,
such as Azerbaijan, Russia, France and US, simply do not recognize "NKR",
support territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and condemn terrorism,
separatism and crimes against humanity, such as what happened to Azerbaijani
civilians in Khojaly, not far from Khankendi.
Sincerely,
Adil Baguirov, Ph.D.
Managing Director
U.S. Azeris Network (USAN)
Press release OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs issue statement
YEREVAN, 1 October 2009 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors
Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of
the United States, released the following statement today:
"The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are in Yerevan to meet President Serge
Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.
The Co-Chairs will also travel to Stepanakert [Khankendi - HL Note] October
2-3 and Baku October 4-6 in advance of the proposed meeting between
President Sargsyan and President Ilham Aliyev in Chisinau, Moldova October
8. They will discuss the key remaining unresolved issues within the Basic
Principles.
The Co-Chairs would also like to reiterate the points made separately by
each of our governments that the Minsk Group negotiations are a separate
process that should move forward along its own rationale, without
preconditions, without any linkages, within a reasonable timeframe, and
without imposed acceleration or delay."
