2009 MARKED WITH INTENSIFICATION OF PEACE TALKS ON KARABAKH, AZERBAIJANI FM

news.az
Jan 14 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Karabakh conflict should be solved only
within the framework of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and
state borders of Azerbaijan.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh should be
solved only within the framework of the territorial integrity,
sovereignty and state borders of Azerbaijan recognized on the
international level.

This is a principal position of Azerbaijan in the Karabakh issue,
says an annual final news release of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
received by results of 2009.

2009 was marked by intensification of efforts and peace negotiations
on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, the document says. This
is proven by six meetings of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
held within a year and numerous meetings of the foreign ministries
of the two countries conducted with participation of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs. Last year was also marked with the high attention
of the world community to the Karabakh conflict.

The world community understands that preservation of the current status
quo in the Karabakh issue is impossible and that this conflict will
soon be settled. A joint statement of the presidents of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairing countries adopted in Italian city L’Aquila on July
10 where the G8 summit was held as well as a joint statement of the
Russian and France foreign ministers and the US Secretary of State
and the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are especially
stressed in this regard. This shows the serious attention to the need
for the soonest peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

"Azerbaijan’s position on the conflict settlement is clear. The
conflict must be settled only within the framework of the territorial
integrity, sovereignty and within the framework of the internationally
recognized borders of Azerbaijan. This position is based on the
principles and norms of international law, the UN Charter and the
Helsinki Final Act, as well as numerous international documents adopted
within the framework of the conflict settlement. The negotiations
aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflict are to specify the
details proceeding from these principles", says an official statement
of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.