Lider TV, Baku
July 9 2009
Azeris, Armenians should decide Karabakh status together – minister
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has said that the
Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagornyy Karabakh should
decide the status of this breakaway republic together, Azerbaijani
private Lider TV reported on 9 July.
It is not normal that part of Azerbaijan, i.e. Nagornyy Karabakh, has
no status, Mammadyarov said. Therefore, of course, we agree that it
should have a status. But it depends when this should be
done. Displaced Azerbaijanis must return to Nagornyy Karabakh,
otherwise, we cannot define this status on occupied territories
without Azerbaijanis being returned to their native lands. It is part
of the negotiations that Azerbaijanis of Nagornyy Karabakh must return
and the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities there will decide the
status, but within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
in the first place.
The minister said Azerbaijan commended the fact that the Russian and
US presidents discussed the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict during their latest meeting in Moscow.
Creating stability in the South Caucasus is an important and serious
issue. World powers for their part want to bring peace and stability
to the region. We commend this, of course, Mammadyarov said on Lider
TV.
Lider TV added that along with efforts to settle the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict, Azerbaijan was also concerned about ensuring its security.
Along with the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, whose settlement is
important, Azerbaijan also attaches importance to its security, Lider
TV said. To that end, an Azerbaijani delegation will join NATO’s 27+1
meeting in Brussels on 15 July. At this meeting a number of issues,
particularly Azerbaijani-NATO relations, will be discussed.