BAKU SPELLS OUT KARABAKH RESOLUTION PRINCIPLES
news.az
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan
Elmar Mammadyarov Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, Elmar Mammadyarov,
has outlined the updated Madrid principles for a settlement to the
Karabakh conflict.
The principles say that during the first stage Armenia must
withdraw its troops from five of the seven occupied districts around
Nagorno-Karabakh, plus 13 villages in the sixth district – Lachin,
Elmar Mammadyarov told a joint news conference in Baku on Monday,
following talks with his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak.
‘Then all the borders and communications are opened, a donor conference
is held, land and communications are rehabilitated, programmes begin
and the question of international observers is resolved, which is
very important from the point of view of the security of the forced
migrants who return there, then troops are withdrawn from Lachin and
Kalbajar and all roads are opened. After the Azerbaijani community has
returned to Karabakh the final stage will be possible – the process
to determine the status of Karabakh can begin.’
‘Karabakh is Azerbaijani land,’ Mammadyarov said. ‘It’s not right for
any territory to be beyond its administrative control. Of course,
we say that all issues must be resolved within the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. As for self-determination, this
issue is also part of international law. But this does not mean that
territorial integrity can be violated. We have said many times that
there are various forms of autonomous status worldwide. For example,
the Tatars and Bashkirs have self-determination but within the
Russian Federation.’
Asked about the possibility of a military solution to the conflict,
Mammadyarov said that the Azerbaijani side had chosen the path of
a peaceful settlement, but at the same time ‘it is analysing all
possible scenarios of the negotiation process’.
‘Azerbaijan’s position is fair and we accept the Madrid principles. We
believe that any conflict should be settled peacefully and there are
opportunities for this,’ he said.
The minister noted that the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia had met
several times in recent years, which had resulted in the submission
of the updated version of the Madrid principles to the parties in
November last year.
‘We believe that this document creates opportunities for the
preparation of a major agreement. This means that we have chosen and
are following the diplomatic path,’ the minister said.
‘If the Armenian side withdraws from the land, it will open up great
opportunities for regional development both in economic terms, and in
terms of improving people’s living conditions. As foreign minister,
I believe that this is the best way to solve the conflict, because
in this case there will be no war rhetoric,’ he said.
Referring to recent statements by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman
from France, Bernard Fassier, Mammadyarov said he would meet the French
diplomat separately during the co-chairs’ next visit to Azerbaijan.
Armenian news agencies reported Fassier as telling a NATO seminar in
Yerevan on Friday that, ‘Azerbaijan’s victory in the event of renewed
war is impossible, because I know about the bravery of Armenian and
Karabakh warriors.’