MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
27 October 2004
Hamlet Gasparian, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, answers a
question by Armenpress News Agency
Question: Azerbaijan has presented a motion to the 59th General
Assembly on “The Situation in the Occupied Territories.” They
specifically refer to so-called settlements. Such a step and such
allegations do not seem to be in sync with the context of ongoing
Nagorno Karabakh negotiations today. How does Armenia view these
statements, and does Armenia intend to take reciprocal action?
Answer: Azerbaijan has always made unfounded statements about supposed
‘resettlement’ and other similar charges. Armenia has always refuted
these charges and invited the international community to visit the
region and see first hand for themselves. Azerbaijan has consistently
opposed these Armenian proposals.
We state once again that there is no official policy of
resettlement. There may be individuals who have decided to settle
there, on their own – Armenian refugees from Shahumian or Getashen –
but this by itself does not redefine the situation. We have said and
will repeat again that if Azerbaijan selectively removes individual
issues from the comprehensive discussion of Nagorno Karabakh’s status,
to attract or divert international attention, then they must negotiate
those issues directly with Nagorno Karabakh. In this sense, we believe
that Azerbaijan’s recent UN initiative does not refer to us.