Armenia

May I begin, Sir, by congratulating you on your election as President of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. I am confident that the skills and vast experience you have acquired throughout your distinguished diplomatic career will provide the guidance we need to guarantee the successful outcome of the session. I must also recall the valuable contribution of your predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, to the work of the last session of the General Assembly. This year, 1998, has been a year of warning signals and signs of hope. We have witnessed both setbacks and strides forward in the quest for peace and international security. In particular, we have witnessed great progress towards the settlement of one of the longest and most intractable conflicts — that of Northern Ireland. The Irish peace agreement has proved to the world that it is never too late to find answers to seemingly impossible problems. Unfortunately, wars, armed conflicts, acts of terrorism and other forms of violence have shaken the world during this last year and have had a negative impact on international stability and security. A party to all international treaties in the sphere of the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Armenia is deeply concerned about the possible consequences of nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan this year. We believe that as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) comes into force, it will contribute substantially to the strengthening of international security. Also, within the framework of the Conference on Disarmament, Armenia supports drafting agreements on the prohibition of the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons and other explosive devices. The United Nations plays a great role in different aspects of international life, ranging from tackling global environmental problems to combating organized crime and illicit drug trafficking. In support of United Nations activities in these spheres, Armenia actively participated in the twentieth special session of the General Assembly. We strongly believe that the illicit traffic in drugs and psychotropic substances seriously jeopardizes the economic prosperity and political stability of many countries and regions of the world. Armenia also actively participated in activities leading to the establishment of the International Criminal Court, since we attach great importance to the battle against international crime, including the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Believing that the United Nations should play the leading role in the formation of an international anti-criminal strategy, Armenia supports the idea of holding, in Vienna, in the year 2000, the tenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Treatment of Offenders. Armenia unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism as acts that have no justification on political, ideological, ethnic, religious or any other grounds. The recent terrorist attacks in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania once again show us the necessity for cooperation among all countries to combat that evil. We call for the accession of the maximum number of countries to universal conventions against terrorism, and support the Russian proposal on a United Nations convention for combating acts of nuclear terrorism. Armenia likewise supports including on the agenda of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly issues dealing with the declaration by the United Nations of a decade of international law, as well as events to be organized in 1999 devoted to the hundredth anniversary of the first International Peace Conference. For the international community, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The semi-centennial anniversary of the Declaration enables the States Members of the United Nations to conduct a review of human rights conditions in their own countries and to identify ways further to develop the foundations of democracy and to promote human and national rights. This year also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It is well known that the international community did not, at the time, duly condemn the genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, and that failure encouraged certain regimes to commit new crimes of genocide. After the Holocaust, the United Nations addressed the problem of genocide, defining it as a crime against humanity, and adopted, on 9 December 1948, the aforementioned Convention. Despite that fact, over the past five decades, crimes of genocide have been committed in various parts of the world on more than one occasion. The recent recognition and condemnation by several parliaments of the genocide of Armenians committed early in this century is evidence of an increased understanding of the necessity to combat that evil. The General Assembly, upon the submission of Armenia and five other Member States, included on the agenda of this session an item on the fiftieth anniversary of the genocide Convention. We hope that, by combining its efforts in the struggle against the crime of genocide, humanity will take a decisive step towards the elimination of that crime in the next century. Equality and mutually beneficial cooperation among countries in the political and commercial-economic spheres, based on free market principles, should become an important factor for political stability in the third millennium. We have no other choice. Armenia adheres to this policy in all its dealings, from its approach to cooperation with international organizations to the process of becoming a member of the World Trade Organization. We attach special significance to regional cooperation, be it in the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization or the TRASECA project. Armenia is sincerely open to such cooperation, although we have to state with regret that the blockade imposed on Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan is a serious obstacle to such cooperation. It is obvious that the region?s vast potential cannot be fully exploited if attempts are made to isolate one of its constituents. Such attempts are doomed to failure. Another factor of concern for political-military stability in the region is the gross violation by Azerbaijan of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. In three categories of ground equipment identified in the Treaty, our neighbour significantly surpasses the national limits set by the Treaty. Despite the potential threat to our security, since the earliest days of our independence we have clearly and unambiguously forsworn the development of weapons of mass destruction and adhere to the principles of non- proliferation of such weapons and of control over the destabilizing accumulation of conventional arms. The peaceful settlement of regional conflicts is one of the most important safeguards of stability and peace in our region, the Transcaucasus. Armenia is committed to 2 the ceasefire established in the Karabakh zone of conflict in May 1994 and will assist in its rigorous maintenance. We emphasize the contribution of the Minsk Group and of its individual member States, both to the maintenance of the ceasefire and to mediation. Unfortunately, at present, the negotiation process is at an impasse. We believe that the main reasons for this impasse are the unclear definition of Nagorny Karabakh?s status as a party to the negotiations; Azerbaijan?s refusal to negotiate directly with the leaders of Nagorny Karabakh; and its insistence on preconditions regarding the future status of Nagorny Karabakh, which we believe must be negotiated. The international community must make every effort to overcome these obstacles. In our opinion, given the intensity and specifics of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, its resolution demands unconventional approaches based on the principle of equal legal rights for the parties to the conflict, an end to the enclave status of Nagorny Karabakh and the provision of international security guarantees for its population. Armenia is ready to move forward and calls on Azerbaijan to resume negotiations without preconditions in order to reach a comprehensive settlement for the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. The challenges that the international community faces today are diverse and complicated. We are convinced that only a reformed United Nations can cope successfully and effectively with the increasing number of problems. This holds true especially for the reform of the Security Council, since the maintenance of peace and security throughout the world depends on a Security Council that functions effectively. We also call for deeper institutional reform of the United Nations, including in the administrative- budgetary sphere. We believe that the fulfilment by all Member States of their financial obligations under the United Nations Charter is indispensable if the Organization?s acute financial crisis is to be overcome. Despite serious economic hardships, Armenia will fulfil its duties in this sphere. We need only recognize that a stronger and reformed United Nations serves our common interests.