Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 5 2007

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Condemns Plans on Holding of
`Presidential Elections’ in Occupied Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov / The Azerbaijan Ministry of
Foreign Affairs condemned the plans by the separatist regime of the
occupied region Nagorno-Karabakh of Azerbaijan on conduct of
`presidential elections’ on 19 July 2007. `The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan reiterates that the
unrecognized separatist regime in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan represents nothing but an illegal structure established by
Armenia on the basis of ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijani population,’
the statement issued by the Ministry on 5 July said.

The so-called `elections’ are conducted in order to camouflage the
annexation policy of Armenia and are aimed at consolidation of the
results of the continued occupation of the Azerbaijani territories,
the statement read.

Conduct of such `elections’ gravely violates the relevant provisions
of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and
principles of international law, since they are held in absence of
the original Azerbaijani population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
and, therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever, the Ministry
noted.

According to the statement, any kind of elections in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan may be
recognized as fair and free once the expelled Azerbaijani population
takes full, direct and equal part in their conduct in lawful and
democratic environment equally to the Armenian population of the
region. Holding such elections will be possible after the withdrawal
of the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of life in the
region, creation of necessary conditions for restoration of the
dialogue and cooperation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. These steps will open up possibility
for the elaboration of an autonomy model for the Nagorno-Karabakh
population within Azerbaijan.

The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the Armenian side to stop its
destructive practice of illegal steps, which does not have any
prospects, and instead to demonstrate a good will and take a
constructive position in the negotiation process in order to find a
soonest and durable solution to the conflict on the basis of the
norms and principles of international law, the document stressed.