ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN ADDRESS ISSUE OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH IN UN DEBATE

NewsBlaze, CA
Sept 27 2006

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on the fifth day of
its annual high-level debate, the foreign ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan expressed their views on the Nagorno-Karabakh region
of Azerbaijan.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said on Monday that "the
people of Nagorno-Karabakh chose long ago not to be represented by the
Government of Azerbaijan. They were the victims of state violence, they
defended themselves, and succeeded against great odds, only to hear
the State cry foul and claim sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Mr. Oskanian said that last December Azerbaijan destroyed or removed
thousands of hand-sculpted mediaeval Armenian tombstones.

"Such destruction, in an area with no Armenians, at a distance from
Nagorno-Karabakh and any conflict areas, is a callous demonstration
that Azerbaijan’s attitude towards tolerance, human values, cultural
treasures, cooperation or even peace, has not changed."

He added that "one cannot blame us for thinking that Azerbaijan is
not ready or interested in a negotiated peace."

Elmar Mammadyarov, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, told the Assembly
that a recent joint environmental operation between the two countries
to tackle major fires inside Nagorno-Karabakh has been "the only
positive development so far."

"The occupying forces have to withdraw from the occupied territories
and necessary conditions have to be in place to allow secure
and dignified return of the Azerbaijani displaced persons to the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and surrounding territories of Azerbaijan,"
he said.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s status can only be defined "through peaceful,
democratic and legal process with direct participation and consent
of both Azerbaijani and Armenian communities," he said, adding
that the region’s economic development must be strengthened and its
inter-communal relations enhanced.

But "it is difficult to hope for a breakthrough in the negotiations
when Armenia rejects face-to-face meetings and refuses to take a
constructive approach to solve existing problems."