AZERBAIJAN WON’T AGREE WITH DIVISION OF ITS LANDS, BUT PREVENT IT – ARAZ AZIMOV
Author: E.Huseynov

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 1 2006

“The United States must understand, while Armenia must remember that
Azerbaijan won’t agree with division of its lands, but prevent it. It
should be interpreted as toughening of our positions. It is principal
position held by Azerbaijan from the beginning of the conflict. We
will remain in this position,” Trend reports quoting Araz Azimov,
the Deputy Foreign Minister, as stating Azertaj.

According to Azimov, the USA comes out for urgent regulation of the
conflict and it is ready to intensify efforts in this direction.

“Azerbaijan supports peaceful co-existence of the Azerbaijani and the
Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh, and issue of appropriate
guarantees to them. I’m sure Azerbaijan will achieve it at any stage,
as we have no other way,” he said. The same time Azerbaijan is ready
to show appropriate flexibility in the settlement of the conflict.

“Addressing to my compatriots, I say the Armenian community living
in Nagorno-Karabakh must be given self-government in any framework.

Armenians alleged that the Azerbaijani political forces were for exile
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians from the region. It is not true. We
never protested against living of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians as
Azerbaijani citizens in the region. Quite contrary, we think these
people must have appropriate social-public-political freedoms, which
are necessary to be ensured,” the Minister underlined.

Azimov said the Azerbaijani community must certainly return to
Nagorno-Karabakh. “We should ensure use of the same self-government
model by the both communities within the Azerbaijani legislation. It is
constructive position of Azerbaijan. We are ready to refuse from tough
position as non-recognition of Armenians’ rights in favor of moderate
one as ensuring of their rights. Armenia and Azerbaijan can come to a
common denominator in that way. It is early and not important to give
definite name to this. First, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
must be restored under assistance of international community and
rights of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh must be ensured,”
he stressed.

According to Azimov, the issues were discussed with Steven Man,
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair from the USA, in Washington. Besides,
the Foreign Minister intends to continue the discussion in the USA
during his visit next week.