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AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 23 2013
Azerbaijan affirms its integrity as priority for Karabakh settlement
23 MAY 2013, 18:51 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan's key principle in the settlement of its Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict with Armenia is maintaining the territorial integrity of the
country, First Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan's Parliament, Ziyafat
Asgarov, said on May 23.
"We have expressed our opinion in this regard and once again declare
that the main principle for us is the principle of the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of the country," Asgarov told journalists.
He was commenting on the statement by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian that his country is ready to sign a document on the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict entitled "Six Principles".
"I do not know what principles he was referring to," Asgarov added.
Asgarov stressed that only after ensuring Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity and sovereignty can any other principle be discussed.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the
early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian
armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's
internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven adjacent regions. Russia, France and the U.S. - co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group - have long been working to broker a solution of the
conflict, but their efforts have been largely fruitless so far.
Peace talks are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by
the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles, also known
as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control;
determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor
linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally
displaced persons to return home.
Director of the Institute of Political Studies of the Academy of
Public Administration under the President of Azerbaijan, political
expert Elman Nasirov told Azernews that it is impossible to accept two
of the six principles. Nasirov was speaking about the updated Madrid
principles.
He said the first one, as Nalbandian insists, implies holding a
referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh region and it would have legally
binding international consequences.
"The result of 'elections' which rule out the participation of the
Azerbaijani community is obvious, and in fact, it would mean
separating Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan," Nasirov said.
He said the other principle which Armenia supports is determining a
transitional legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh until a referendum and
recognition of this status by the international community.
"However, this interim status can't be of a lower level than its
current de-facto status. At least, the current status hasn't been
recognized by any state, even by Armenia itself. But they want to give
legal power to this (interim) status, which cannot be accepted in any
way. Therefore, the negotiations continue to remain in a deadlock,"
Nasirov says.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev
told the local press that the deployment of Armenian troops in the
occupied territory of Azerbaijan is the biggest obstacle to the
resolution of the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
He said the actual presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan is at the core of the conflict.
According to Abdullayev, in order to advance the negotiation process,
the Armenian side must begin a withdrawal of its troops from the
occupied lands.
"This will provide an opportunity to advance the peace process and
determine the question of predictability of the situation. It will
also create conditions for establishing communications, economic
development and improving the welfare of the whole region, as well as
provide Armenia with the possibility to use the potential of
cooperation with Azerbaijan," Abdullayev said.
From: Baghdasarian
May 23 2013
Azerbaijan affirms its integrity as priority for Karabakh settlement
23 MAY 2013, 18:51 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan's key principle in the settlement of its Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict with Armenia is maintaining the territorial integrity of the
country, First Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan's Parliament, Ziyafat
Asgarov, said on May 23.
"We have expressed our opinion in this regard and once again declare
that the main principle for us is the principle of the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of the country," Asgarov told journalists.
He was commenting on the statement by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian that his country is ready to sign a document on the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict entitled "Six Principles".
"I do not know what principles he was referring to," Asgarov added.
Asgarov stressed that only after ensuring Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity and sovereignty can any other principle be discussed.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the
early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian
armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's
internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven adjacent regions. Russia, France and the U.S. - co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group - have long been working to broker a solution of the
conflict, but their efforts have been largely fruitless so far.
Peace talks are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by
the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles, also known
as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control;
determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor
linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally
displaced persons to return home.
Director of the Institute of Political Studies of the Academy of
Public Administration under the President of Azerbaijan, political
expert Elman Nasirov told Azernews that it is impossible to accept two
of the six principles. Nasirov was speaking about the updated Madrid
principles.
He said the first one, as Nalbandian insists, implies holding a
referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh region and it would have legally
binding international consequences.
"The result of 'elections' which rule out the participation of the
Azerbaijani community is obvious, and in fact, it would mean
separating Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan," Nasirov said.
He said the other principle which Armenia supports is determining a
transitional legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh until a referendum and
recognition of this status by the international community.
"However, this interim status can't be of a lower level than its
current de-facto status. At least, the current status hasn't been
recognized by any state, even by Armenia itself. But they want to give
legal power to this (interim) status, which cannot be accepted in any
way. Therefore, the negotiations continue to remain in a deadlock,"
Nasirov says.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev
told the local press that the deployment of Armenian troops in the
occupied territory of Azerbaijan is the biggest obstacle to the
resolution of the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
He said the actual presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan is at the core of the conflict.
According to Abdullayev, in order to advance the negotiation process,
the Armenian side must begin a withdrawal of its troops from the
occupied lands.
"This will provide an opportunity to advance the peace process and
determine the question of predictability of the situation. It will
also create conditions for establishing communications, economic
development and improving the welfare of the whole region, as well as
provide Armenia with the possibility to use the potential of
cooperation with Azerbaijan," Abdullayev said.
From: Baghdasarian