AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH BELIEVES RUSSIA NOT TO RECOGNIZE INDEPENDENCE OF SEPARATIST REGION
Trend News Agency
Aug 28 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 28 August/ TrendNews, corr I. Alizade/ The
Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh believes that Russia is
not likely to recognize independence of separatist structure in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Official Moscow can not recognize independence of Nagorno-Karabakh
separatists on government level and no Russian non-governmental
organizations will support them," Nizami Bahmanov, head of Azerbaijani
Community said to TrendNews.
On 26 August, Russia recognized independence of break-away Abkhazia and
South Ossetia regions of Georgia. The non-governmental organizations
of Armenia have appealed the government to recognize independence
of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s lands including
Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding seven regions. The occupation began
in 1988. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and
Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied
Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh’s seven surrounding regions. 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,
but fruitless negotiations.
Bahmanov said Azerbaijan can be compared with neither with Armenia nor
Georgia. Azerbaijan has certain weight in the region and Azerbaijan’s
relations with Russia are only developing thanks to the balanced
foreign policy of president.
" Russia can not take the same steps toward Azerbaijan as in case
of Georgia. Armenians want to take advantage of situation around
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. If they appeal Russia, their appeal will
be rejected unambiguously. The conflicts in Georgia and problems in
Nagorno-Karabakh are not similar. There is fact of occupation involved
and Armenia occupied Azerbaijan’s lands during Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," Bahmanov said.
Head of the Community also stated that all steps taken by Armenia
concerning Nagorno-Karabakh contradicts international principles. If
Armenia recognizes independence of Nagorno-Karabakh separatists,
it will not yield any results, he said.
The Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh does not need to appeal
parliaments of other states to recognize Armenia as an occupier,
he said.
"Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the focus of attention of world community
and UN, Council of Europe and OSCE have passed resolutions and
decisions on this issue and have recognized Armenia as occupier. Their
decisions must be fulfilled and we must demand it as well," Bahmanov
said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress