AZERBAIJAN PROPOSES "COMPROMISE" SOLUTION TO KARABAKH CONFLICT

APA
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

A deputy Azerbaijani foreign minister has said his country offers
Armenia a "compromise" solution to end the Nagornyy Karabakh dispute.

Araz Azimov said that instead of Nagornyy Karabakh’s "vertical"
subordination to Azerbaijan, the latter now offers the breakaway region
self-determination inside Azerbaijan. The following is an excerpt
from Azimov’s interview with private Azerbaijani news agency APA:

Baku, 20 October: Deputy Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Araz Azimov
has answered a question about the Armenia-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagornyy Karabakh. APA reports that Azimov said that three principles
of the international law are being considered within the process of
the conflict settlement, namely territorial integrity, non-use of
force and self-determination.

The principle of territorial integrity and inviolable of borders are
the common denominator behind the mentioned principles. "The principle
of self-determination should not lead to a state’s disintegration and
to a transfer of any state’s territory without that state’s consent.

The right to self-determination does not mean independence and
does not justify it [independence]. This right can be ensured only
within territorial integrity, thus, it is considered as internal
self-determination and is regarded in international experience as an
acceptable norm.

"In line with its position in the negotiation with Armenia for settling
the conflict in a constructive way on a mutual basis, Azerbaijan
is ready to move from the position of vertical subordination to a
position of defining a self-determination status for the population
of the Nagornyy Karabakh region through the implementation of
self-determination within territorial integrity. We expect Armenia
to show a similar attitude, i.e. give up its maximalist position
of demanding independence for Nagornyy Karabakh in violation of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and agree to the common denominator
proposed by Azerbaijan (self-determination within territorial
integrity). That is a compromise option that can be regarded as
being constructive. It is not possible to change Azerbaijan’s borders
without its consent. Thus, Armenia has to choose between two options:
either it agrees to the continuation of the current situation, or it
agrees to resolve the conflict on the basis of the mentioned common
denominator. We still cannot see Armenia’s clarity on this issue.

"As to the status issue, we have to say that the determination
of the status should be carried out in an objective way and in
objective conditions. What are these objective conditions: ending the
occupation and returning all the [occupied] territory; restoration
of relevant infrastructure and return of the population, especially
Azerbaijanis of Nagornyy Karabakh. The issue cannot be resolved without
Azerbaijanis’ return to the occupied territories. And the status of
Nagornyy Karabakh can be defined only with the involvement of this
region’s entire population. The population should live together again
in this region, cooperate in peaceful conditions, push aside hostile
sentiments and build good neighbourly relations. In such conditions,
the issue of status determination can be considered again. I want to
say it again that to determine the status, the occupation has to end,
roads should be restored and cooperation should replace enmity.

"Until that time, it is planned to carry out, in a relevant succession,
measures to vacate the territories, return the population and
restore cooperation in order to cope with important tasks that
face us. After the occupied territories are vacated, Azerbaijan’s
central authorities are ready to make important actions in social and
economic spheres for the benefit of both Azerbaijanis and Armenians [in
Nagornyy Karabakh]. After Azerbaijanis return to Nagornyy Karabakh,
relevant conditions should be created for them to live there and
possibilities should be created for them to establish contact with
Armenian neighbours. Simultaneously, conditions should be created for
Armenia’s cooperation with the Azerbaijani side in Nagornyy Karabakh.

"Besides that, international organizations will carry out various
programmes in Karabakh in a certain period. It is proposed to
use temporary agreements (interim status) to implement all these
actions, establish cooperation and ensure the local population’s equal
residence until a final status is defined. That in turn will ensure
equal conditions, rights and safety for the region’s two communities
(Azerbaijani and Armenian). At a certain stage of the discussions,
representatives from the two communities of the Nagornyy Karabakh
population will join the process through a certain procedure in order
to take part in discussions on issues related to their interests."