On Ukraine, Azerbaijan supports the UN Resolution... (UPDATED)

The UN General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution titled "Territorial integrity of Ukraine" deeming the annexation illegal.

Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova were among a 100 members that voted in favor of the resolution, while 11, including Armenia, Belarus, opposed and 58 others, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan abstained. Some countries including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan didn't vote.

"By favoring this resolution you favor the UN charter while voting against or abstaining equals undermining it," Ukrainian FM Andriy Deshchytsia told the Assembly members before the voting began.

Speaking at the plenary, Tofig Musayev, an Azerbaijani representative, reiterated Baku's adherence to the fundamental principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders, saying they "constituted the basic foundation of international relations and the international legal order."

In the meantime, it wasn't immediately clear whether Baku stands by the Crimean Tatar Turks, who recently asked for help from Azerbaijani president.

Addressing the plenary, Turkey's representative stressed the need to ensure the security, wellbeing and rights of Crimean Tatar Turks, an integral part of the Crimean population.

Armenian representative Garen Nazarian said his country had "consistently promoted democracy, decolonization and self-determination, which were enshrined in the [UN] Charter"; the key was to act within international law and to seek solutions through peaceful dialogue involving the parties concerned.

In his speech, Georgia's representative mentioned that the situation in mainland Ukraine was reminiscent of the Russia's seizure of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions in 2008, pointing out that 20% of his country's territory remained under illegal Russian occupation.

For Moldova, the Crimea referendum was not legal because it contravened Ukraine's Constitution as well as international law.  "The future of Ukraine can be considered and decided only upon the free will and aspirations of all Ukrainians themselves, without any outside influence," Moldovan representative emphasized.

In his response, Russia's Ambassador to the UN said, however, Moscow "could not refuse Crimeans their right to self-determination", as the referendum had reunified Crimea with his country: "We call on everyone to respect that voluntary choice."

Back in Washington, DC, many analysts, such as Kurt Volker, former US ambassador to NATO, worry about the international delay in response to the Russia's invasion to Ukraine.

Although NATO's collective defense commitment has not been formally tested, as no alliance territory has been invaded by Russia, but organization's allies in the East, such as the Baltic States and Poland, are "rightly worried about Moscow's intentions," he said.

"And, perhaps even more importantly, non-allies, such as Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, are watching to see whether NATO pushes back, or accedes to a revived Russian sphere of influence over pieces of the former Soviet Union" he added.

In the wake of Russia's imminent annexation of Crimea, NATO, "with strong US leadership and participation, should act," he told TURAN.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council conference in Washington DC, a veteran Senator John McCain, who recently returned from a trip to Ukraine said, in a wake of Russia's aggressive policy in neighborhood, it's about time that the NATO partners, with the exception of Norway and Poland, started increasing their defense spending capabilities rather than continuously reducing them:

"We may think that the Cold War is over, we may think that the 19th century kind of Cold War strategies are done, but Vladimir Putin doesn't: I do not envision armed conflict or a return to the kind of Cold War tensions that prevailed all during the post-war period, but I do predict to you that a realistic view of Vladimir Putin, his ambitions and his behavior is the best way to begin to counter and make too expensive any further territorial ambitions that he may have," he emphasized.

While addressing Washington, D.C. audience on Thursday, Ukraine's chairman of the National Security Council Andriy Parubiy urged on other Russian neighbors to be alarmed:

"No country that has a joint border with Russia, is safe now", he warned.

A.Raufoglu

Washington, DC

2014 March 27 (Thursday) 22:29:56

The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution, which does not recognize the referendum held in the Crimea on March 16 to secede from Ukraine and Russia's subsequent annexation of the peninsula.

 "For" the resolution, which is not binding, were 100 members in the General Assembly, abstained 58, and eleven voted "no."

 The resolution A/68L.39, which is called "The territorial integrity of Ukraine" noted in particular that the referendum in the Crimea "has no power and cannot be the basis for changing the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol city," according to UNIAN.

 Azerbaijan voted in favor of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 The Russian Federation, Belarus, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, Bolivia, Armenia, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua and Sudan voted against. -0-