Karabakh polls “illegal” – Azeri Foreign Ministry

Turan news agency
14 Jun 05

Baku, 14 June: The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry today issued a
statement over Karabakh separatists’ plans to conduct the so-called
“parliamentary elections” in the occupied Nagornyy Karabakh region
on 19 June.

“The holding of ‘elections’ in the conditions of territorial occupation
and ethnic cleansing runs counter to the norms and principles of
international law and the Azerbaijani constitution, and, therefore,
has no legal effect,” the document says.

Such actions by the Armenian side do not conform to the spirit of
the negotiating process which has recently produced hope for positive
changes, the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

Lasting peace cannot be achieved without normal life, peaceful
coexistence and cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
communities of the Nagornyy Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

In this connection, the Azerbaijani side supports the international
community’s calls for establishing direct contact between the
communities and taking measures to boost confidence, overcome
hostility, achieve stability and mutual understanding.

“Such a dialogue between the communities will facilitate rapprochement
between the Karabakh Armenians and the Azerbaijani population of the
region which will return to their homes, lay the necessary foundation
for engaging all categories of the regional population in a peaceful
and democratic process which, among other things, will envisage
the formation of legitimate regional authorities of all levels,”
the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.