Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 21 2004
Azeri Foreign Minister Calls CIS Member States’s Resolute Stance on
Karabakh Issue
Minister of Foreign Affair s of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met on
October 20 with Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, Executive
Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo.
Updating the Minister on his visit to Belarus in connection with the
nationwide referenda in this country, Vladimir Rushaylo called the
fact that elections monitoring within the Commonwealth became
traditional.
He also pointed out the importance of strengthening member states
cooperation in fighting terror, migration problems, ecology and other
spheres including resolution of conflicts.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also noted the need to widen the
cooperation with international organizations and observers to acquire
more experience and knowledge in holding elections.
Touching upon the issue concerning conflicts resolution, the Minister
noted that economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Armenia is not
possible until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is settled. He also
called on the CIS member state to express their resolute stance with
respect to settling people in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent
territories of Azerbaijan.
Armenia occupied former autonomous Nagorno-Karabakh region and also
seven other Azerbaijani districts in 1991-94 war, forcing over
700,000 Azerbaijanis to leave their homes. Despite an armistice
signed in May 1994, no final solution has been achieved to the
conflict between the two countries.