Epress.am News from Armenia
Statements by Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published on the Embassy of Poland to Azerbaijan website regarding European Parliament Deputy, main Armenia reporter Thomas Poreba’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) in Dec. 2010 “became a subject of speculations for Baku’s propaganda machine,” reads a press release issued by the de-facto republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
The NKR MFA further notes that the information published by the Polish Embassy in Azerbaijan regarding the “undesirability” of visits to Nagorno-Karabakh seems to be aimed at the Azerbaijan public, to show Poland’s good relations with Azerbaijan. Interestingly, notes the press release, the same information is not available on Poland’s MFA website.
“However, the position of the Polish authorities seems odd, as this country is one of the initiators of the EU program of Western Partnership based on the principles of democracy and international law. Don’t thus the Polish authorities violate the rights and freedoms of their own citizens? Especially that nobody has repealed the international conventions on the right to free movement and receipt of true information. It is quite suitable to ask Polish Foreign Minister, Sir Radoslav Sikorsky whether this restriction concerns also Polish citizen Andrzej Kasprzyk [Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office who often accompanies OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on visits to Karabakh],” reads the press release in part.
The NKR MFA concludes by noting that tens of thousands of foreign citizens have visited the republic after Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh approved the creation of an independent state in 1991.
“Surely, the NKR will henceforth pay special attention to Polish citizens who, ignoring any artificial bans, visit the NKR,” concludes the press release.
The disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan after a bloody war in the 1990s and is populated mainly by ethnic Armenians. Today it exists as a de-facto independent state under an uneasy ceasefire, and OSCE-brokered efforts to resolve its status have so far been unsuccessful.