THERE IS ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STATEMENTS OF BAKU AND MADRID PRINCIPLES ISSUED: DEPUTY FM OF ARMENIA
ArmInfo
2009-07-14 14:10:00
ArmInfo. There is an essential difference between the statements
of official Baku and the Madrid principles issued, deputy Foreign
Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan said in an interview with PTA.
‘In particular, the Azerbaijani president and foreign minister claimed
that the status of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic will be determined
by Azerbaijan only. As a result, a panic started in Azerbaijan
caused by the fact that its authorities actually misinformed the
society regarding the on-going negotiations. In particular, it denied
availability of the "Madrid document", around which it agreed to hold
negotiations, for almost a year’, he said.
According to S. Kocharyan, Baku realizes that the existing document
means that Azerbaijan undertakes to admit what has become a reality
far ago, namely, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has actually no relation
to Azerbaijan, it is independent and sovereign, and Azerbaijan admits
by these provisions that it has no authorities with respect to the NKR.
To note, the OSCE site reports that the presidents of OSCE
MG co-chair-countries made a joint statement on the Nagorno
Karabakh Conflict at the L’Aquila Summit of the Eight, July 10,
2009. The statement says that the Basic Principles reflect a
reasonable compromise based on the Helsinki Final Act principles
of Non-Use of Force, Territorial Integrity, and the Equal Rights
and Self-Determination of Peoples. The Basic Principles include, in
particular: return of the territories surrounding Nagorno- Karabakh to
Azerbaijani control; an interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing
guarantees for security and self-governance; a corridor linking Armenia
to Nagorno- Karabakh; future determination of the final legal status
of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will;
the right of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return
to their former places of residence; and international security
guarantees that would include a peacekeeping operation.