Interfax News Agency, Russia
Oct 30 2008

KARABAKH PROBLEM WON’T BE NEGOTIATED AT TRIPARTITE MINISTERIAL …

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia will meet in
Moscow on October 31 and speak to the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen on
November 1, Azerbaijani Acting Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov told
the media.

Results of these meetings will be conveyed to the presidents [of
Azerbaijan and Armenia], and negotiations will follow, he said.

The possible recognition of independent Karabakh is not a subject of
the negotiations, the acting minister said.

There are two parties to the conflict – Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Karabakh Azerbaijani and Armenian communities had been taking part
until Armenia decided to speak on behalf of the Armenian
community. Thus, I think it would be senseless to change the
negotiating format so far, he said in comments on Yerevan’s suggestion
to engage Karabakh Armenians in the talks.

Certainly, Azerbaijan recognizes the self-determination principle
because it is a member of the UN and the Helsinki Final Act. On the
other hand, self-determination does not imply an armed breach of
territorial integrity. So, we want Azerbaijanis’ return to Karabakh,
peaceful co-existence and political and economic normalization prior
to the possible definition of the [Karabakh] status, he said.

Mamedyarov referred to Tatarstan as an example of such status in the
Russian Federation.

In other words, Karabakh may enjoy the highest degree of autonomy
within territory integral Azerbaijan, he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress