STATEMENT BY AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTRY ANOTHER DIPLOMATIC STEP

arminfo
2007-08-31 16:20:00

ArmInfo. The statement by Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry regarding the
14th anniversary of the so-called "occupation" of Kubatli region by
Armenians is another diplomatic step that country takes every year,
David Babayan, Karabakh political expert told ArmInfo.

However, every time making such statements, Azerbaijan confirms
its unconstructive stand on Karabakh conflict settlement. First,
the firing-points in Kubatli were buttoned-up by NKR Armed Forces
and not by those of the Republic of Armenia. Second, none of the
four UN resolutions mentions that RA troops "seized" the so-called
"occupied" territories.

Third, the acts by NKR Defence Army on neutralization of the
firing points of the Azerbaijani army cannot be characterized
as "occupation." Although the status of these territories has
changed, occupation implies a planned action of seizure, while
NKR had never planned occupation of any territory beforehand. It
had to neutralize Azerbaijani army units around the periphery of
its borders. "Azerbaijan made our country to do that. Thus, it is
not occupation, but liberation of the given territories from the
military bases of the rival. Otherwise, NKR would be unable to exist
any longer," D. Babayan said.

Unfortunately, over these years, official Baku neither did any steps
to really settle the conflict nor even demonstrated desire to do
it. Azerbaijan considers the issue only from the territorial point of
view. If it really wants to settle the conflict, it must revise the
philosophy of its vision of the settlement process and try to settle
the reasons of the conflict and not its consequences, D. Babayan said.