ARMENIA NEEDS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL
news.az
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan
Novruz Mammadov An official in the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration has said that it is in Armenia’s own interests to
resolve the Karabakh conflict.
‘Armenia has taken a nonconstructive position on Karabakh and does
not intend to put an end to the issue. They cannot do this for
several reasons. But they should understand that a just settlement
of the Karabakh conflict is of the utmost importance for Armenia,’
Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department at
the Presidential Administration, said.
In an interview published on the website of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan
Party, Mammadov said that the Armenians should think of their
future and avert tragedy. It is most important for Armenia to take
a constructive position and ensure the conflict settlement, he said.
Mammadov said the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group were working on
the negotiations. ‘They are to meet the Armenian foreign minister.
After that they will visit the region,’ Mammadov said.
‘The West does other things instead of settling the South Caucasus
conflict,’ he continued, commenting on remarks by the French co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Bernard Fassier, that Azerbaijan would lose
a war over Karabakh as he knew the bravery of Armenian fighters.
Mammadov said he regretted the co-chair’s statement. ‘If this is what
Fassier thinks, he should know that the Armenian militants, whom he
called "brave and courageous", occupied the territories of Azerbaijan
with the support of another side and killed more than 20,000 innocent
people, thereby committing genocide. What does it mean to call such
people "courageous"? Where is the co-chair’s neutrality?’ Mammadov
asked.
‘I cannot understand how primitively Western politicians think. If
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Karabakh were solved fairly,
there wouldn’t be a need to take other action, to hold secret talks,
or to force six ministers to stand behind [Armenian Foreign Minister]
Edward Nalbandian while he signs the protocols, or to update the
so-called "Armenian genocide". Even people who are not politicians
understand that. Even so, the West intends to force us to accept this
incorrect position.’
Commenting on remarks by Goran Lennmarker, the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly’s special representative for the South Caucasus, that
‘Azerbaijan shouldn’t make bellicose statements and should cut its
defence budget’, Mammadov said these remarks were often made.
‘We have the right to liberate our lands. No one can deprive us of it.
This right is recognized by the world de-facto and de-jure.’
‘I can see strong pressure on both Azerbaijan and Turkey at all stages
over the so-called Armenian genocide,’ Mammadov said in his interview.
Mammadov said the chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee had summoned congressmen to attend the vote on the
Armenian genocide resolution.
‘A similar step was taken at the Swedish parliament too: it was passed
by a margin of one vote. But these steps should not be taken.
Processes should not be so politicized within the framework of the
West’s interests. There cannot be any justification. This is only
pressure on Azerbaijan and Turkey. How can such defence and patronage
towards Armenia be explained?
‘This shows the total nature of the crisis of justice in today’s
international relations. But it is impossible to dishearten Azerbaijan
and Turkey in such cases. Azerbaijan and Turkey aren’t simple states.
The main feature of these states is that they are friendly and
brotherly countries and the nations enjoy strong unity with their
leaders.’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress