ELMAR MAMEDYRAOV ACCUSES ARMENIA OF REFUSING FROM DIRECT TALKS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 26, 2006 Tuesday

-TURAN. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov accused Armenia
of refusing from direct talks on the Karabakh conflict settlement. He
said yesterday at the 61st session of UN General Assembly that Armenia
occupies an unconstructive position toward resolution of the problem.

He said the conflict’s parties and mediators have accepted a
stage-by-stage approach to conflict settlement as "the only possible
option." The minister said "there are two main questions – the status
of self-government of the population of occupied Nagorno Karabakh
and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied Azerbaijani
territories, which causes disagreements between the two sides."

"We proceed with the assumption that the status cannot be resolved
today. It must be resolved through peaceful democratic and legal
processes and direct participation of the Azerbaijani side and Armenian
community of the Nagorno Karabakh region," said the minister. He also
added that occupants must leave Azerbaijani territories and it is
necessary to create conditions for the safe return of Azerbaijani
internally displaced people to Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding
Azerbaijani regions.

"Such a logical succession of events will create necessary conditions
for the next stage of the conflict settlement. The next stage includes
the improvement of living conditions on the territory that has
suffered as result of the conflict, the restoration of relationships
between communities, socio-economic development and working out of
the model of self- government of the population of the region within
Azerbaijan. Our position is based on resolutions of the UN Security
Council and an OSCE decision, both of which demand unconditional
withdrawal of occupying troops from all occupied territories, and the
restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,"
stressed Mamedyarov.