Statement by Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the OSCE Ministerial Event on "Addressing the Crisis of European Security: The Way Forward and the Role of the OSCE"

New York, September 26, 2014

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I agree that the subject that we are discussing today is both timely and topical. We observe a number of new challenges in the OSCE area that prevent this Organization to perform effectively functions that it has been mandated to and, hence, affect security of its Participating States. Among them there are a selective misinterpretation of the founding principles of the Helsinki Final Act, the growing number of instances of the threat or use of force in international relations, as well as a failure to ensure inviolability of internationally recognized borders of the OSCE participating States as a result of this use of force.

There is a lack of comprehensive and integral approach to the human rights and fundamental freedoms, application of double standards and selectiveness, attempts to destabilize security of the OSCE participating States under the pretext of human rights concerns.

Attempts to transform the Organization into an area of competing and opposing political- military groupings are troubling. Such groupings-based competition and build-ups puts under question the indivisibility of the OSCE area and seriously affects those States that due to different limitations cannot or will not join collective defense institutions and are not in comfort with diminishing role of OSCE in the European security architecture. Within the OSCE area no State, group of States or organization can claim a primary responsibility for maintaining peace and stability or consider any part of the OSCE area as its sphere of influence. For non-bloc countries like Azerbaijan, OSCE is the pan- European security guarantor, whose multinational engagement protects Azerbaijan from biases of unilateral involvement.

There is a growing trend of simultaneously developing integration processes in the OSCE area, which put a number of risks and challenges not only for those striving to be part of integration processes, but also for non-block Participating States. Those processes are not discussed within the OSCE, but they affect security of the OSCE participating States and impact on the scope of implementation of the OSCE commitments. If they lead to a crisis situation, then

OSCE remains the only regional arrangement to react, since neither of the competing integration unions or blocks is eager to compromise and develop a culture of dialogue and constructive engagement.

The OSCE is a cornerstone of the European security architecture. It is important to recognize the role of the Organization as of a platform for dialogue and promotion of trust and security. As the OSCE participating States we have to reiterate our commitment to uphold the Helsinki Final Act, its founding principles, as well as other OSCE commitments, which are the foundation and cornerstone of our cooperative security.

The OSCE documents established clear standards for participating States' treatment of each other and of all individuals within their territories. All OSCE commitments, without exception, apply equally to each participating State. Their implementation in good faith is essential for relations between States, between governments and their peoples, as well as between the organizations of which they are members.

It should be underlined that OSCE is neither a rival nor a competitor to any Western or Eurasian dominated unions or blocks, but it is a broad platform where disagreements and contradictions may be constructively addressed. Advantage of the OSCE would be fully utilized, if the Organization could manage not only to react to emerging crises, but preferably to prevent them from escalating.

We believe that the major mission of the OSCE is and should be the protection of norms and principles it advocates without constraints, double standards and geographical preferences, and to ensure the respect for them in interrelations of its Participating States.

It is important to open the OSCE agenda for discussion of any issue affecting security of any OSCE participating State and to try to address them in a constructive, non-accusatory manner. To that end, there is a need to improve informal consultations among major stakeholders in the OSCE and those States who feel that their security is affected.

In this context, the Platform for Co-operative Security, which was adopted as an essential element of the Charter for European Security of 1999, is an advantage that is underutilized in OSCE. It can further strengthen and develop co-operation with competent organizations on the basis of equality and in a spirit of partnership. Such cooperation should be mutually reinforcing, while security interests of the non-block OSCE States should be taken into consideration in the inter-institutional talks on establishing cooperative relations among the OSCE and its partners.

The conflicts in the OSCE area are the key threats to the peace and security on the European continent. The current stalemate situation in the settlement process of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is very dangerous in terms of peace and stability in the region.

The breakthrough for the resolution of the conflict is a withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Armenia from the occupied territories and return of ethnically cleansed Azerbaijani population back their homes. This action will help to create the atmosphere of confidence between Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which is a very important element towards sustainable peace building.

We believe that the OSCE Participating States reaffirm their unequivocal expectations for the soonest resolution of this conflict based on the above- mentioned approaches.

Thank you.