AZERBAIJAN READY TO GRANT AUTONOMY TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

ARMENPRESS
Dec 13, 2007

BAKU, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijan’s foreign affairs minister
Elmar Mammadyarov said today that ‘Baku is ready to grant autonomy to
Nagorno-Karabakh as part of integral Azerbaijani republic.’ "We do
not have any problem in granting autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh. We
have repeated time and again that if Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh
want to get autonomy, there are such examples both in Russia and
other European countries," he said to journalists in Baku.

As an example he cited the Russian republics of Tatarstan and
Bashkortostan.

The minister, however, said that granting autonomy does not mean
violation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He said that all
Armenian-controlled regions beyond Nagorno-Karabakh must be liberated
as well.

"It is a phased process and the core of the conflict is to decide the
manner of returning the occupied regions, deployment of international
peacekeepers there, restoration of road and other communications,
clearing the regions of mines and the return of refugees to their
homes and many other issues," he said.

The minister said Baku’s reaction to a package of proposals on
the basic principles for the peaceful settlement of the conflict,
transmitted to the sides by the OSCE Minsk Group is ‘normal.’ But he
said the ‘the proposals do not suggest that Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents should have another meeting." He said the official Baku
is for continuation of the so-called Prague Process.

He said the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen from Russia, USA and France
will visit the region in mid-January to continue the talks.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress