ARMENIA SHOULD END OCCUPATION OF AZERI TERRITORIES – MAMMADYAROV
Interfax
July 20 2009
Russia
Armenia should lift the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories, Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told a briefing in Baku on Monday.
"A schedule for the withdrawal [of Armenia’s armed forces] is being
discussed today," Mammadyarov said.
"It is already clear that the Armenian armed forces have to leave the
Azeri territories, after which Azeri refugees will be able to return
to their land," the minister said.
The areas that should be returned to Azeri refugees have been
devastated, and "there is an initiative to hold a donor conference
with the European Union" to help revive them, he said.
All motorways need to be opened to traffic, including roads linking
Azerbaijan and Armenia, and across the whole region, Mammadyarov said.
"Besides, there are issues related to the co-existence of the ethnic
Azeri and Armenian communities. None of us will leave the region.
That is why we need to look for ways to develop and deepen contacts,
after which we will have to work on their status. Our opinion is that
it can be the highest status, but within the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan," he said.
Armenia should end occupation of Azeri territories – Mammadyarov
(PART 2)
Armenia should lift the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories, Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told a briefing in Baku on Monday.
"A schedule for the withdrawal [of Armenia’s armed forces] is being
discussed today," Mammadyarov said.
"It is already clear that the Armenian armed forces have to leave the
Azeri territories, after which Azeri refugees will be able to return
to their land," the minister said.
The areas that should be returned to Azeri refugees have been
devastated, and "there is an initiative to hold a donor conference
with the European Union" to help revive them, he said.
All motorways need to be opened to traffic, including roads linking
Azerbaijan and Armenia, and across the whole region, Mammadyarov said.
"Besides, there are issues related to the co-existence of the ethnic
Azeri and Armenian communities. None of us will leave the region.
That is why we need to look for ways to develop and deepen contacts,
after which we will have to work on their status. Our opinion is that
it can be the highest status, but within the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan," he said.
The minister also said he did not rule out a possible meeting between
representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Azeri and Armenian
communities. Such a meeting could take place in this region, as well
as in other countries, he added.
Russia has begun playing a bigger role in the settlement of the
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a positive step, he said.
"We sensed new hopes after our meeting with [Russian President]
Dmitry Medvedev," the minister said.
However, the Azeri authorities expected progress at the Moscow meeting,
which, unfortunately, did not happen, Mammadyarov said.
The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will pay separate visits to
the region in early September, after which they will continue their
work to update the basic settlement principles, the minister said. At
the end of September, they will pay a joint visit to the region,
and the next round of talks between the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan could take place in October, he said.
"We sense an intensification of this process. I positively assess the
settlement-related statement that was adopted by the presidents of the
[OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairing countries in L’Aquila. It demonstrates
their interest in advancing this process," he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress