SELF-DETERMINATION OF KARABAKH ARMENIANS, SEPARATE FROM AZERBAIJAN CANNOT BE CONSIDERED – DEPUTY MINISTER

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Dec 14 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. Ê.Ramazanova / The officials in
Baku denies the statements by Armenians, that the Armenians of the
Nagorno-Karabakh region have the right of self-determination on the
basis of the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in the
regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

" Armenia considers the meeting in Madrid as one-sided, and an attempt
to the world to take its opinion as a fact. , said Araz Azimov,
the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister, during the briefing on
14 December.

Azimov said that the one-sided policy will not give any positive
results to Armenia. "Firstly, the discussions on the main principles
will be continued as no agreement has been achieved so far. Secondly,
the discussions will continue on the basis of the norms and the
principles of the international rights," Azimov said.

Azerbaijan does not seek for war with Armenia, Yerevan stated, but
wants to restore its territorial integrity. "Territorial integrity
was and will be the principle motive of Azerbaijan," Azimov noted.

The Deputy Minister added that "Even the implementation of the
principle of self-determination of the nation should not lead to
the breakdown, and always should be resolved within the territorial
integrity."

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

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From: Baghdasarian