ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Dec 12 2008

Azeri official says conflict with Armenia should be resolved

An Azerbaijani official has said that the ongoing conflict with
neighbouring Armenia over Nagornyy Karabakh should be resolved, but
this does not mean forgetting tragedies of the past.

In remarks shown by the private TV station ANS on 10 December,
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Xazar Ibrahim said: "Naturally,
Xocali, Susa [towns in Karabakh] and our martyrs have not been
forgotten and can never be forgotten. We have no right to do so. The
point is that we should resolve the conflict. We have no right to
leave the conflict unresolved."

The spokesman added that "after the conflict is resolved, after
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is restored, we should preserve
peace and stability in the region". Ibrahim said that Azerbaijan and
Armenia could establish ties after this, stressing that neighbours
cannot avoid each other.

Commenting on French mediator Bernard Fassier’s remarks on a precise
schedule of the conflict settlement, according to which a peace
agreement should be drafted by late 2009, Ibrahim said: "In any case,
we would like the co-chairs [of the OSCE Minsk Group] to take steps on
their part for the implementation of the noted theses and therefore,
they should send appropriate messages to Armenia. Azerbaijan is ready
for the resolution and we have taken steps on our own part. If the
point is about any schedule, I again note that we have stated that the
conflict should be resolved stage-by-stage within the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity."