IF ARMENIA STILL STICKS TO ITS NON-CONSTRUCTIVE POSITION, EVEN WRITTEN SUGGESTIONS NOT TO AFFECT SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – HEAD OF AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH

TREND Information
Nov 30 2007
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr E. Huseynli / The head of the
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh considers it possible to
divulge the details of new written suggestions made by the OSCE Minsk
Group. "Keeping in secret the set of written proposals on settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which was submitted by the OSCE Minsk
Group’s co-chairs in Madrid will negatively affect settlement of the
conflict," the head of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh
Nizami Bahmanov said to Trend on 29 November.

On 29 November, the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs submitted written
suggestions (10 suggestions) on settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to Azerbaijan and Armenia. The document was submitted by
US Chair of the OSCE Minks Group Matthew Bryza, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the US Assistant Secretary of State
for International Affairs Nicolas Bern at the meeting between the
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and the Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian in Madrid on 29 November.

According to Bahmanov, in case Armenia does not renounce its
non-constructive position, even written suggestions will not be able
to affect settlement of the conflict. If the written suggestions
indicate importance of settlement of the conflict within the framework
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and on the basis of international
legal norms, so they may be only welcomed. If no requirements are made
for Armenia, the official Yerevan will not abandon its non-constructive
position.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

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