ARMENIAN FM: SCHEDULE OF WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN TROOPS FROM CERTAIN TERRITORIES WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN MOSCOW

ArmInfo
2009-07-21 10:48:00

ArmInfo. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian refuted the
statement by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister E. Mammadyarov that Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents discussed the schedule of withdrawal of the
Armenian troops from certain territories at their latest meeting in
Moscow. The minister made this refutation at a joint press conference
with Carl Bildt, the Foreign Minister of Sweden, the EU chair-state,
in Yerevan on Monday.

Earlier, E. Mammadyarov declared that ‘the terms of withdrawal of
the Armenian troops from the occupied territories’ are discussed at
the current stage of the negotiations for settlement of the Karabakh
conflict.

‘As regards the statements that alleged discussions are held on return
of some territories, I declare that no such issue was discussed in
Moscow’, E. Nalbandian said.

He also added that the Armenian party has never declared officially
that it has approved the Madrid principles. ‘We have just declared
that they are a basis for negotiations’, E. Nalbandian said. He
highlighted that the conflict must be settled only by peace methods
on the basis of the international law i.e. on the peoples’ right to
self-determination, non-use of force and territorial integrity. For
his part, Carl Bildt said that the EU is ready to help implementing
the agreement will possibly be signed by the conflicting parties. He
said that the process continues and it is necessary to promote it.