MAMEDIAROV: ARMENIA ENDANGERS PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS

Azg/arm
27 Nov 04

A group of experts may be formed within the framework of OSCE Minsk
group to fix Armeniaâ~@~Ys policy of inhabiting the territories
under the control of NKR armed forces. According to Mediamax, this
information was spread by Baku mass media, referring to “the exchange
of views around this issue” that took place during the meeting of
OSCE Minsk group co-chairs Steven Mann (US), Yuri Merzliakov (RF)
and Henry Jackolin (France) with Elmar Mamaediarov, Azeri Foreign
Minister, and Araz Azimov, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister, in New York.

The current stage of the peaceful negotiations was discussed during
the closed meeting. Mamediarov said that “conducting the policy of
inhabiting, Armenia not only violates the relevant formula of the UN
Security Council and the norms of the international humanitarian right,
but also endangers the peaceful negotiations held by the mediation
of OSCE Minsk group.”

Yerevan keeps saying that no policy of inhabiting is being conducted
in the territories under the control of NKR forces on state level. On
the other hand, Armenia states some Armenian refugee families from
Getashen, Shahumian and Azerbaijan dwell in these territories.

It’s worth reminding that the co-chairs left for New York after
the discussion on “the current situation in Azerbaijan’s occupied
territories” put forward by Azerbaijan at the UN. The OSCE co-chairs
voted against Azerbaijan’s initiative at the UN. Earlier, touching upon
the discussion of Nagorno Karabakh issue at the UN, Steven Mann stated
that the abovementioned issue had been traditionally discussed within
the OSCE framework. In the interview to Freedom radio station he said
that he respects the UN formulae, but, on the other hand, he asked
the question: “Will this step (discussion of Nagorno Karabakh issue
at the UN) yield a progress in the settlement of the conflict?” Mann
said that the sides in conflict should pose this question every time.

The American diplomat considered the resumption of the military actions
“absolutely foolish”. He emphasized that no negotiation on Nagorno
Karabakh settlement was held in 2004. He characterized the meetings
of the foreign ministers as “dialogues and exchange of views”. “If the
negotiation will not be resumed and the positions of the sides remain
unchanged, “neither war, nor peace” situation can last for decades,”
Mann said.

–Boundary_(ID_xgyC9T86TIA3sS6N3jBiwA)–