International Herald tribune, France
July 5 2007

Azerbaijan says upcoming election in Nagorno-Karabakh illegitimate
The Associated PressPublished: July 5, 2007

BAKU, Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan emphasized Thursday that it will not
recognize the results of an upcoming presidential election in the
ethnic Armenian-controlled territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

A presidential vote in Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory inside
Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenian forces, is scheduled for
July 19.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said the balloting would violate the
country’s constitution and international law and "shall have no legal
effect whatsoever."

"The separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
represents nothing but an illegal structure established by Armenia on
the basis of ethnic cleansing of (the) Azerbaijani population," a
ministry statement said.

Nagorno-Karabakh and some surrounding areas have been controlled by
ethnic Armenian forces since a 1994 cease-fire ended a six-year
conflict that killed some 30,000 people and drove more than 1 million
from their homes. Tensions remain high between Azerbaijan and Armenia
despite more than a decade of coaxing from international mediators
led by the United States, Russia and France to resolve the region’s
status.