Azeri foreign minister says too early to talk about Karabakh accord

MPA news agency
15 Jul 05

Baku, 15 July: “It is too early to talk about any agreements as talks
[on the Nagornyy Karabakh resolution] are continuing. However, I can
assure you that the [negotiating] process is being held on the basis
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and the country’s constitution,”
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told journalists.

He said that the world recognizes Nagornyy Karabakh as part of
Azerbaijan and everything else is empty talk. Reports circulated by
the Armenian media may be provocative or aim to test the waters. It
cannot be ruled out that Armenia is trying to resolve its domestic
problems in this way.

The minister said that regardless of the outcome of talks between the
[Azeri and Armenian] foreign ministers in Moscow, the Azerbaijani
and Armenians presidents will meet in Kazan. The Azerbaijani foreign
minister has given his consent to the meeting on 22 August and is
waiting for Armenia’s reply. Mammadyarov did not rule out signing a
document at the Kazan meeting.

In reply to journalists’ questions, Mammadyarov stressed that opening
communications [with Armenia] is being discussed as part of a package
among nine points containing all elements of a future agreement. The
talk is about the liberation of the occupied territories, return
of refugees, rehabilitation of territories, restoration of the
communications and deployment of peacekeeping forces. The removal
of one of these elements may result in the breakdown of the entire
structure. After fundamental problems have been resolved, issues
of involvement of peacekeeping forces and their deployment will
be discussed.

Touching upon the possibility of Iran participating in the negotiating
process as a mediator, the Azerbaijani foreign minister stressed
that Iran is not a member of the [OSCE] Minsk Group. Mammadyarov
believes that in order for talks to get under way between the Nagornyy
Karabakh communities, the Azerbaijani community should first return
to Nagornyy Karabakh, Lacin and other territories currently under
occupation. “Azerbaijan wants to put an end to ethnic cleansing. This
is where we stand and will stand,” the Azerbaijani foreign minister
said.