AZERBAIJANI COMMENTS ON PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR
SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

YEREVAN, JUNE 8. ARMINFO. On the whole, after the meeting of
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Warsaw, one can speak of some
progress in the fundamental issues in the negotiations for settlement
of Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov
told Trend agency.

He said that in the course of their forthcoming meeting in Paris,
Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers will discuss 7-9 elements
of the negotiations. “We think we shall manage to agree on several
issues, some we think very complicated. We shall discuss each issue.
But the position of Azerbaijan is well-known: territorial integrity
of the country must be restored,” the minister said. The issue of
deployment of peacemaking forces in the region after return of
Azerbaijani refugees and forced emigrant there is also on agenda. The
security issues is very important, and the Armenian party’s approach
to it is also very serious, he thinks.

Mamedyarov says that among the elements to be discussed are also
issue of demining and withdrawal of the troops from the territories
controlled by NKR. The sides also discuss opening of roads linking
Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh (via Lachin) and Azerbaijan with
Nakhijevan. <Motor-road and railway are in question. We think that
opening of the motor-road is more profitable for us. This issue must
be in favor of both countries,> he said. He says that discussion of
the above elements is held stage by stage and solution to each
following issue depends on the solutions to the previous ones. The
minister pointed out that the visit of OSCE MG CO-Chairs to the
region would depend on Paris negotiations. “But we plan that after
this meeting they will more activate their efforts,” the minister
said.