ISSUE OF LIBERATION OF SEVEN REGIONS IS DISCUSSED AT NEGOTIATIONS: ELMAR MAMEDYAROV

YEREVAN, JULY 16. ARMINFO. Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov
lifted once again the veil from the matter of negotiations on Nagorno
Karabakh conflict peaceful settlement.

According to Baku mass media, he stated in an interview to journalists
that at the first stage of negotiations the matter concerned the
liberation of not five but seven regions controlled by NKR. The issue
on quartering peacemaking forces in the region (after returning Azeri
people to their permanent residence in NKR) will be discussed when
the agreement on principle issues is to be reached. Mamedyarov said
that this decision was made at the OSCE Budapest summit.

“It is necessary to keep the confidentiality principle to reach any
developments. I only may say that the principle of maintenance of
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is the basis of negotiation process
conducting in accordance with country’s Constitution”, Mamedyarov
stated. He also named groundless rumors in mass media that “a
referendum will be conducted in NKR after signing a peaceful agreement
10-15 years ago”. “The internal political situation in Armenia and
the fact that the information may have provocative nature, and, most
likely, it is directed to the study of response of the opposite party
may be the reasons for such information”, Mamedyarov supposed.