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FOREIGN MINISTRY: AZERBAIJAN'S POSITION ON KARABAKH CONFLICT COINCIDES WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S POSITION
Trend
June 20 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's position coincides with the international community's
position on the fact that the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is unacceptable, Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesman
Elman Abdullayev told Trend.
"The current situation should be changed for the sake of the region's
future and its prosperity. We agree with the position indicated in
the statement of the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries that one should not artificially delay the resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as it affects the region's future and
fate of its people," Abdullayev said.
He said Baku has repeatedly stated its willingness to sign a
comprehensive peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh and has always
supported the strengthening of confidence building measures, Abdullayev
underscored.
"Last year we supported the initiative to hold meetings of communities
in the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh region, but Armenia did not do it,"
Abdullayev said.
He said any incident on the front line starts because of the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
"If Armenia finally withdraws its occupation troops from Azerbaijani
territories, there will be no incidents on the contact line.
Obviously, withdrawal of Armenian forces will be necessary so that
the mechanisms of the resolution can work," Abdullayev said. "The
biggest obstacle to the development of the region is the occupation
of Azerbaijani lands and the entire region will benefit from the
withdrawal of Armenian armed forces, as indicated in the presidents'
statement," he added.
The presidents of Russia, the United States and France regret that
Azerbaijan and Armenia have not taken decisive steps to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and urged the parties to accelerate the
coordination of the basic principles of resolving the problem.
Russia, U.S. and France are co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
'We urge the leaders to follow the principles of the Helsinki Final
Act and in particular, the principles of non-use of force or threat
of force, territorial integrity, equality and the right of peoples
to self-determination and elements of settlement as defined in
the statements of our two countries made in L'Aquila in 2009 and
in Muskoka 2010', the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries' presidents says.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
Trend
June 20 2012
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's position coincides with the international community's
position on the fact that the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is unacceptable, Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesman
Elman Abdullayev told Trend.
"The current situation should be changed for the sake of the region's
future and its prosperity. We agree with the position indicated in
the statement of the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries that one should not artificially delay the resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as it affects the region's future and
fate of its people," Abdullayev said.
He said Baku has repeatedly stated its willingness to sign a
comprehensive peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh and has always
supported the strengthening of confidence building measures, Abdullayev
underscored.
"Last year we supported the initiative to hold meetings of communities
in the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh region, but Armenia did not do it,"
Abdullayev said.
He said any incident on the front line starts because of the Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
"If Armenia finally withdraws its occupation troops from Azerbaijani
territories, there will be no incidents on the contact line.
Obviously, withdrawal of Armenian forces will be necessary so that
the mechanisms of the resolution can work," Abdullayev said. "The
biggest obstacle to the development of the region is the occupation
of Azerbaijani lands and the entire region will benefit from the
withdrawal of Armenian armed forces, as indicated in the presidents'
statement," he added.
The presidents of Russia, the United States and France regret that
Azerbaijan and Armenia have not taken decisive steps to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and urged the parties to accelerate the
coordination of the basic principles of resolving the problem.
Russia, U.S. and France are co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
'We urge the leaders to follow the principles of the Helsinki Final
Act and in particular, the principles of non-use of force or threat
of force, territorial integrity, equality and the right of peoples
to self-determination and elements of settlement as defined in
the statements of our two countries made in L'Aquila in 2009 and
in Muskoka 2010', the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries' presidents says.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.