AZERBAIJAN: DFM BRIEFS DIP CORPS ON OCCUPIED

UNCLAS BAKU 001301

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PBTS PREL PGOV AM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: DFM BRIEFS DIP CORPS ON OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES FIRE, UN RESOLUTION


1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified, Protect Accordingly.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: At a September 1 briefing for the Baku
diplomatic corps, DFM Araz Azimov explained GOAJ reasons for
its UNGA draft resolution concerning the occupied
territories' fires. He said Azerbaijan's revised draft
resolution preserved the 'environmental and humanitarian
core' of the earlier draft, while leaving out any political
issues. He said the GOAJ was focused not on placing the
blame for the fires, but on mobilizing an environmental
operation, focusing on fire suppression and soil
rehabilitation, "to be conducted through cooperation by the
parties as a confidence-building measure." END SUMMARY.


3. (SBU) On September 1, DCM and Econoff attended a Foreign
Ministry Briefing for the Baku diplomatic corps, hosted by
DFM Araz Azimov, on the "Situation on the Ongoing Fires in
the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan and the Draft
Resolution put forward by Azerbaijan in this regard at the UN
General Assembly."


4. (SBU) In the briefing, complete with slides and
information packets for all attendees, Azimov said the fires
have expanded to cover approximately 600-800 square
kilometers of occupied territory. He said that the GOAJ was
not particularly interested in raising the issue of the cause
of the fires or any responsibility for them (although he did
note that only agricultural lands and villages were ablaze,
and that the 'selective' spread pattern of the fires was
'strange'). He said that the GOAJ was primarily concerned
with mobilizing support for an environmental operation
focusing on fire suppression and rehabilitation of the
affected soils, since the Azerbaijani population would
eventually be returning to these agricultural lands and would
have to make a living from them. As such, the GOAJ has
requested the international community to mobilize its
relevant expertise and resources for this environmental
operation.


5. (SBU) Azimov said that pursuant to the Geneva Convention
of 1949, the occupying party bears responsibility for
reacting to this type of occurrence, and that an occupying
power's policy of 'no response' only adds to the occupying
party's responsibility. He said he hoped that Armenia would
play a constructive role. He said that the GOAJ had revised
the draft resolution it had put forward for the UNGA, and
that the revised draft resolution (A/60/L.60/Rev.1 - faxed
separately) was the "environmental and humanitarian core" of
the previous draft. He described it as an 'apolitical' draft
that sought merely to find a constructive, target-oriented,
environmentalist approach to suppressing the fires and
rehabilitating the affected soil. This draft resolution was
essential because the GOAJ had no other option, and because
the UNGA was the most authoritative forum to deal with the
issue.


6. (SBU) Azimov told the assembled diplomats that there was
no political reason to oppose the resolution, and that the
envisioned environmental operation could serve as a
confidence-building measure which could lead to others. As
such, he asked for the assembled countries' support for the
draft resolution when it is discussed on September 5 at UNGA.
HYLAND