Turan News, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004
UN POSTPONED VOTING ON OCCUPIED AZERI TERRITORIES WITH BAKU`S CONSENT
– OFFICIAL
BAKU, 29.11.04. The decision to postpone the voting on the draft
resolution on the situation in Azerbaijan`s occupied territories has
been adopted with Azerbaijan`s consent, Azerbaijan`s Deputy Foreign
Minister Araz Azimov told reporters today, commenting on the results
of the discussions at the UN.
Azerbaijan had not set itself a task to have the draft resolution
adopted on the same day [24 November]. Our main goal was to draw the
attention of the international community to the `artificial`
settlement of Armenians in Azerbaijan`s occupied territories, Azimov
said.
As for the voting at the UN, Azerbaijan can return to this issue at
any moment during the 59th session [of the UN General Assembly] which
will last until September 2005.
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have supported Azerbaijan`s proposal
to send a mission to the occupied territories to check the facts of
settlement. Meanwhile, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said
at a meeting in Berlin that Yerevan understands Azerbaijan`s concern
and will take measures. The Armenian side also said it is ready to
resume the talks at the ministerial level.
Azimov said that Armenia`s pull-out from the occupied territories,
the return of the internally displaced people to their homes, the
resumption of communications, as well as Nagornyy Karabakh`s
political status were discussed during the talks in Prague.
Asked which of the occupied districts will be liberated first, Azimov
said that Azerbaijan wants the seven districts surrounding Nagornyy
Karabakh to be liberated. However, it is impossible to do this in one
day, and the issue can be resolved stage by stage, he said.
As for the return of the Azerbaijani population to Nagornyy Karabakh,
Baku insists that Azerbaijanis must be returned to Susa District and
other settlements where they used to live. Baku believes that the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities [of Nagornyy Karabakh] can live
together under international monitors until Karabakh`s status is
resolved fully, Azimov said.
The Armenians of Nagornyy Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan and
Baku is ready to grant them autonomy. Baku is ready to negotiate with
the Armenian population of Nagornyy Karabakh, but to this end `the
foreign occupying army must pull out and the Armenians of Nagornyy
Karabakh must recognize that they are part of Azerbaijan`, he said.
The Armenian community may join the peace talks within the OSCE Minsk
Group, but they may do so in parity with the Azerbaijani community of
Nagornyy Karabakh, Azimov said.