AZERI PRESIDENT HOPES THAT OSCE FACT FINDING VISIT TO REGION WILL BE FRUITFUL
YEREVAN, JANUARY 29. ARMINFO. Azeri President Ilham Aliev hopes that
the OSCE fact finding visit to the region will be fruitful.
Day.az reports that during his Friday meeting with the OSCE MG mission
for inquiring into “the facts of the occupied territories settlement”
Aliev stressed the importance of the current foreign ministerial level
stage of the talks for the Karabakh conflict settlement. He reiterated
that Azerbaijan’s position is based on the international principles of
territorial integrity and border inviolability. Pointing out that “the
illegal settlement of Armenians over the occupied Azeri territories”
is the most serious obstacle to long-term peace in the region Aliev
expressed conviction that the OSCE mission will put an end to this
illegal practice.
The Russian co-Chair of the OSCE MG Yuri Merzlyakov said that Aliev’s
ideas are very important. He thanked Aliev for the documents the Azeri
authorities professionally prepared for the mission. “All this is
essential for our work.” Noting that the MG will intensify its
efforts Merzlyakov expressed hope that the conflicting parties will
pool efforts for achieving results in the peace process.
Azeri Deputy FM Araz Azimov says that “the settlement of the occupied
Azeri territories is carried out with Armenia’s direct participation.”
He says that the Azeri side has provided the mission with video and
audio proofs of “the occupied territories settlement” and geographical
maps of the areas. Azimov says that some 23,000 people have illegally
been settled there. This is not good for the talks, he says.