Nagornyy Karabakh expert criticizes Azeri statement on district
occupation anniversary

Sources:

Azartac news agency, Baku, in Azeri 1700 gmt 30 Aug 07

Arminfo news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 1000 gmt 31 Aug 07

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a statement on 30 August in
connection with the 14th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijan’s
Qubadli District by Armenian forces, the Azerbaijani state news agency
AzarTAc has reported.

The statement said that the district was occupied by the Armenian armed
forces on 31 August 1993, as a result of which more than 31,000
residents of the district became refugees. The ministry said that the
Armenian side is ignoring the UN Security Council resolutions regarding
the immediate withdrawal from the occupied territories and added that
Azerbaijan will continue making every effort to restore the country’s
territorial integrity on the basis of international law, AzarTAc said.

In turn, an expert in Nagornyy Karabakh, David Babayan, described the
statement as another diplomatic step that confirms Azerbaijan’s
"nonconstructive position on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement", the
Armenian news agency Arminfo reported on 31 August.

Babayan expressed his regret that Baku officials have not taken any
steps to settle the conflict, Arminfo reported. He denied that Armenian
forces occupied part of Azerbaijan, saying that they were forced to
neutralize Azerbaijani forces as they threatened Karabakh’s security.