AZG Armenian Daily #222, 01/12/2007

OSCE Ministerial Council

MAMEDYAROV ACCOMPANIES AT THE MILITARY TRUMPET OF AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE
MINISTER

On November 29, after the meeting of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, also
Foreign Ministers of France and Russia and the representative of OSCE
Executive Chairman with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mamedyarov announced, that
formalization of the three-year discussed Basic Principles took
place. According to him, MG presented a document of discussed
idea. "Part of the discussed issues is already settled and as it was
mentioned several times, part of them is not settled. There are
several principles that we can cooperate on."

To the question of "Azg" daily about the number of the principles,
Mamedyarov answered that according to Azerbaijani position "there are
two principles, I would say – one". To the question of "Azg" daily
whether it is concerned with the issue of Karabakh status, Azerbaijani
FM answered that the status of Karabakh is not involved in the
discussions and that they should find a way to clear the negotiation
table >From the issues that impede the resolution. "It is first of all
occupation, issues of evacuated, communication, security, etc.".

The position of Azerbaijan hasn’t mainly changed, i.e. Karabakh’s
population is Azerbaijani citizens, part of Azerbaijan, the people of
Azerbaijani origin that lived in Karabakh till 1988 should return,
otherwise the resolution of the issue of the status is impossible from
the point of international right".

What about the recent announcement of Azerbaijani Defense Minister
about the restart of the war, Mamedyarov mentioned, "Defense Minister
is a Defense Minister in order to make similar announcements, as he is
also responsible for the occupied territories. I think that it is
making a background, naturally there are people that announce if we
cannot liberate the occupied territories by peaceful way, then we
should do it by war".

To the review of "Azg" daily that OSCE MG Co-chairs Matthew Bryza and
Bernard Fussier cherish hopes that until January they will get some
answer, even agreement on the documents presented at the meeting in
Madrid, Azerbaijani FM announced, "Devil is in details. We should
study the details carefully. I think, sincerely, that it will take
more time, and at the same time to persuade the Armenian side that it
comes from their national benefit. From the conceptual aspect, we are
neighbors; nobody can take the land and go away or build a wall. We
should find outlines of cooperation".

By Agavni Haroutiunian, Madrid, translated by L.H.