THE AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIA IN BAKU: RUSSIA’S RECOGNITION OF ABKHAZIA AND OSSETIA DOES NOT PREJUDICE THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan Business Center, Azerbaijan
Aug 27 2008

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Russia is not going to extrapolate on Azerbaijan
the precedent it created yesterday concerning one-side recognition
of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Ambassador of Russia to Azerbaijan Vasiliy Istratov said at a
special briefing in Baku that Russia respects the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan despite the fact it recognized the independence of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Russia will not change its attitude towards the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan. The declaration signed by Presidents Dmitriy
Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev this July is not loosing its power at
all," V.Istratov said. Under the declaration, Russia recognized the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in full volume, including occupied
by Armenia Nagorno Karabakh and seven regions around it.

"The decision on recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia is difficult, compulsory, but an only possible way in current
conditions. The decision concerns a concrete situation occurred in
the region as a result of the military actions launched by Georgia in
South Ossetia on August 8. It is applicable only to concrete situation
occurred in concrete spaces," V.Istratov thinks.

Many people in Azerbaijan think that such concrete situation might
appear in Azerbaijan concerning Nagorno Karabakh, the conflict around
which was interrupted under the Bishkek Armistice of 1994.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress