BAKU SPELLS OUT KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PLAN
Interfax
March 15 2010
Russia
The Karabakh settlement plan stipulates the Armenian pullout from five
out of seven occupied districts around Karabakh and from 13 villages
of the sixth occupied district, Lachin, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov told a Monday press briefing in Baku.
Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak was the other participant in
the press briefing.
"That pullout must be followed by the reopening of communications, a
donor conference and a number of programs drafted by Azerbaijan. It is
also planned to ensure security of the Karabakh population," he said.
Once that is done, the remaining part of the Lachin district will be
freed together with the Kelbajar district, and Azeri refugees and
displaced persons will return home under international monitoring,
Mamedyarov said.
The status of Karabakh will be defined only after that, he said.
"We affirm that all the settlement phases will be fulfilled with due
respect for territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The same principle
applies to the determination of the Karabakh status," he said.
Azerbaijan has chosen peaceful settlement but "it is still analyzing
all possible negotiating options," the minister said.
"The Azeri position is fair. We accept the Madrid settlement
principles. We also think that any conflict must be resolved primarily
with peaceful methods, and there are possibilities to do that now,"
he said.
Azeri and Armenian leaders have had many meetings in recent years,
and an updated variant of the Madrid Principles was presented in
November 2009.
"We think this document creates possibilities for drafting a major
agreement. This means we have chosen the diplomatic path and are
following it," Mamedyarov said.
"If Armenia frees the occupied lands, it will open up vast
opportunities for regional economic development and better living
standards. Being the foreign minister, I believe that this is the
best way to resolve the conflict. There will be no military rhetoric
in that case," he said.