FORCIBLE CHANGE OF BORDERS UNACCEPTABLE

AzerTag. Azerbaijan
Jan 15 2007

FM of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met with the head of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) country representation,
Martin Amasher, 15 January, press service of the Ministry said.

M. Amasher highlighted on the current year activities of ICRC, in
particular, on continuation of the work on POW, hostages and the
missing. The Representation has opened its new office in Barda
district, he stated. According to Mr. Amasher, one of the two
Azerbaijan servicemen in the Armenian captivity would be released on
16 January.

ICRC has been functioning in the country for fifteen years and
is a reliable partner of the Azerbaijan government in a number of
activities, Minister Mammadyarov stressed.

Touching the current status of peaceful Armenia-Azerbaijan
negotiations, the Minister expressed importance of preliminary
agreement on the major principles of conflict settlement, also
noted that some forces, including the Armenian lobby and the ongoing
processes in Armenia impede solution to the problem.

Minister Mammadyarov especially underlined unacceptability of forcible
change of the borders at present, condemning the policy of ethnic
purge against Azerbaijan people and carrying out such policy under
the pretext of "the right of self-determination".