MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF AZERBAIJAN EXPRESSED ITS DEEP RESENTMENT OVER THE POSITION TAKEN BY THE CO-CHAIRMEN COUNTRIES THAT VOTED AGAINST GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION

Today
s/43733.html
March 14 2008
Azerbaijan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to emphasize the utmost
importance of the resolution, which the General Assembly, despite
the efforts of some Member States, has adopted.

The resolution demonstrates that the international community firmly
stands for settlement of the conflict on the basis of territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.

The resolution is timely and constructive since it stands for the
balance based on the norms and principles of international law.

It provides the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region with a
possibility for self-rule within territorial integrity of the state
that it is part of.

It reaffirms the right of displaced population to return to their
places of origin.

It demands the withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.

It supports the mediation efforts carried out on the basis of norms
and principles of international law.

The resolution makes it clear for Armenia and for those behind her
that settlement of the conflict could be achieved only on the basis
of territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Until the Armenian side realizes this, the settlement cannot be
achieved.

The Armenian side and those who support her must understand that
negotiations may be continued only on the basis of norms and principles
of international law.

The resolution provides a clear perspective for defining the
Nagorno-Karabakh region status at the level envisaged by the
international law, namely at the level of self-governance within
territorial integrity of the state, and unambiguously indicated that
this requires return of the displaced Azerbaijani population to the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.

As Armenia continues to dictate its will proceeding from the fait
accompli and tries to tear away the Nagorno-Karabakh region from
Azerbaijan based on the results of the ethnic cleansing of the
Azerbaijani population, she will not achieve peace with Azerbaijan.

Status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region may not be the subject of
negotiations on the basis of fait accompli.

Status shall be defined only through legal and democratic process
with participation of the entire population of the region within
Azerbaijan. This requires creation of objective conditions such as
relief of all territories from occupation, their rehabilitation and
return of the population forcibly expelled from their places of origin.

We are surprised and express our deep resentment over the position
taken by the Co-Chairmen countries that voted against this resolution,
since the text was carefully drafted based on the concept of settlement
they have repeatedly assured us to pursue.

Co-chairs refer to the draft paper on basic principles prepared by
them, which allegedly constitute the basis for the settlement.

Azerbaijan must state that this draft contains more disagreements and
unsettled issues, rather than clarity, and these issues by priority
are of utmost importance.

We took note of the Co-chairs support to the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan and would like to believe that they will follow their
statement.

We also expect that the Co-chairs in their work on the draft of basic
principles will take due regard of the position of international
community expressed in the adopted resolution and prescribed in the
international law, which shall serve as a basis for their activity.

We would like to stress that Azerbaijan will continue to be guided
by the principles laid out in the adopted resolution in its work on
the draft of basic principles.

We would like to express our gratitude for those countries, which
voted in favor of our resolution and demonstrated principled and
friendly support to Azerbaijan, and we will not forget that.

Likewise, we would not forget that a number of states didn’t find it
possible to vote in favor of the resolution, which is of principled
importance not only for Azerbaijan, but also for the international
community, although we do understand that decision among those which
chose to abstain in the voting was taken under pressure or due to
remote geographic location.

We firmly reject and consider as trifling the position of those who
voted against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Results of today voting will be thoroughly analyzed and taken due
note of in the course of preparation of our campaign for mobilizing
support to our resolution in the coming year.