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BAKU: Azeri minister says peacekeepers to be deployed in Karabakh

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  • BAKU: Azeri minister says peacekeepers to be deployed in Karabakh

    Day, Azerbaijan
    May 26 2007


    Azeri minister says peacekeepers to be deployed in Karabakh



    26 May: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on Friday [25
    May] spoke about plans for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
    conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh.

    "The sooner Armenian leadership understands that there is no
    alternative to a peaceful solution to the conflict within territorial
    integrity of Azerbaijan, the sooner an agreement will be reached. The
    sooner the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is settled, the better it will
    be for Armenia, Azerbaijan and the region as a whole," Mammadyarov
    stressed.

    "The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan cannot be called into
    question. The withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied
    territories of Azerbaijan and possibilities for displaced persons'
    return to their homes are being discussed at the current stage of the
    negotiations," he said.

    He added that all the seven districts around Nagornyy Karabakh that
    are currently under [Armenian] occupation should be returned to
    Azerbaijan and no-one can doubt it.

    According to the minister, the parties have reached an agreement on
    the deployment of a peacekeeping force in a security zone. At the
    same time, it is not known yet what countries will take part in
    maintaining peace in the region.

    "An opinion exists that the countries of the region and the countries
    that co-chair the [OSCE] Minsk Group [mediating in the talks] should
    not be represented in the peacekeeping contingent," Mammadyarov said.

    He went on to add that a "reasonable width" of the Lacin [district
    connecting Nagornyy Karabakh with Armenia] corridor should be ensured
    for the security of Azerbaijani citizens.

    He said: "A reasonable width means the security guarantee issue. The
    Lacin road goes through mountains and in this case security of the
    population and cargo transportation should be guaranteed. Why did we
    agree to [the presence of] the peacekeeping force? Because that is
    the issue of security for Azerbaijani population which will return
    there. In this case, when we are speaking about the implementation of
    this process, military experts should calculate from what places the
    road can be and cannot be subject to shooting."

    The main thing is to escape a risk of the resumption of hostilities,
    he said.

    Mammadyarov added that he would to the end keep to diplomatic efforts
    in the Karabakh settlement. "However, everything depends on these or
    other points," he said.
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