AZERI OFFICIAL RULES OUT SELF-DETERMINATION PRINCIPLE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Azad Azarbaycan TV
Nov 17 2008

[Presenter] The Armenian people have once made a decision on their
self-determination. However, Azerbaijan will not give a second chance
to Armenia, the director of the foreign relations department of the
presidential administration, Novruz Mammadov, has said in a comment
on the issue of self-determination of the people of Nagornyy Karabakh
raised by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, who visited Baku
last week.

[Mammadov, speaking in his office] Azerbaijan has always backed
granting any kind of status to Nagornyy Karabakh within the framework
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. We even say that we can grant
the broadest status. However, [this can happen] within the framework of
Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. This
is in line with contemporary world practice.

There are such cases in many countries, there is a case in the Russian
Federation. But Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity should not be
infringed. This is not on the agenda for the time being, but when
the talk is about people’s self-determination, the Armenian people
have already decided on their self-determination once. If they want
to set up a state wherever there are Armenians, no-one will accept
that. Azerbaijan will never allow for this to happen [recording cut
mid-sentence].

[Regnum news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0730 gmt 17 Nov 08 quoted
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan as saying in an interview with
Armenian Public TV that "the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict can be
resolved if Azerbaijan accepts the right of the Nagornyy Karabakh
people to self-determination, if Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh have a
land border, and if the people of Nagornyy Karabakh receive a strong
guarantee of their security". Sargsyan also denied having agreed to
some concessions in the Nagornyy Karabakh talks. "I might have talked
of compromises, but never of concessions," Sargsyan said.]