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UN RESOLUTION WITH UNFAVORABLE TITLE

Politics

The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the U.N. to urgently assist in preventing environmental damage from fires in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The resolution stressed "the necessity to urgently conduct an environmental operation to suppress the fires." It took note of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's intention to organize a mission to the region to assess the short-term and long-term impact of the fires.

Azerbaijan's U.N. Ambassador Yashar Aliyev introduced the draft resolution, saying that in early June Azerbaijan registered massive fires in the eastern part of the territory occupied by Armenia, and by August the fire had damaged more than 600 square kilometers. After the vote, he thanked everyone who supported the resolution.

Armenia's U.N. Ambassador, Armen Martirosyan, said that although he supported the content of the resolution, he had serious problems with its title and opposed bringing any Nagorno-Karabakh issue to the United Nations.

U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff, speaking on behalf of the OSCE group dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh issue - the U.S., France and Russia - said the three countries remain committed to promoting a peaceful, negotiated solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Here goes the full text of the resolution.

Sixtieth Session of the UN General Assembly

Agenda Item 40,

Azerbaijan: resolution

The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan

The General Assembly,

Seriously concerned by the fires in the affected territories, which have inflicted widespread environmental damage,

1. Stresses the necessity to urgently conduct an environmental operation to suppress the fires in the affected territories and to overcome their detrimental consequences;

2. Welcomes the readiness of the parties to cooperate to that end and considers such an operation to be an important confidence-building measure;

3. Takes note of the OSCE intention to organize a mission to the region to assess the short-term and long-term impact of the fires on the environment as a step for preparation of the environmental operation;

4. Calls upon, in this regard, the organizations and programs of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Environmental Programme, in cooperation with the OSCE to provide all necessary assistance and expertise, including, inter alia, the assessment of and counteraction to the short-term and long-term impact of the environmental degradation of the region, as well as in its rehabilitation;

5. Asks the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group of the OSCE to provide a report to member States of the General Assembly by April 30, 2007