AZERBAIJAN’S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ISSUES STATEMENT CONDEMNING CONDUCT OF SO-CALLED "PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS" IN THE COUNTRY’S NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGION

APA
May 14 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement
concerning the so-called "parliament elections" being arranged by
the unrecognized separatist regime in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan, APA reports.

The statement says: "According to the reports circulated by the
mass media outlets of the Republic of Armenia so-called "parliament
elections" are being arranged to take place in the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 23 May 2010.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
reiterates in this regard that the unrecognized separatist regime
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan represents nothing but
an illegal structure established by Armenia on the basis of ethnic
cleansing of Azerbaijani population. The so-called "elections" are
conducted in order to camouflage the annexation policy of Armenia and
are aimed at consolidation of the results of the continued occupation
of the Azerbaijani territories.

Conduct of such "elections" gravely violates the relevant provisions
of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and
principles of international law, since they are held in absence of
the original Azerbaijani population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
and, therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever.

Any kind of elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic
of Azerbaijan may be recognized as fair and free once the expelled
Azerbaijani population takes full, direct and equal part in their
conduct in lawful and democratic environment equally to the Armenian
population of the region. Holding such elections will be possible
after the withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of
life in the region, creation of necessary conditions for restoration
of the dialogue and cooperation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
communities of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the Armenian side to stop
its destructive practice of illegal steps, which does not have
any prospects, and instead to demonstrate a good will and take a
constructive position in the negotiation process, which has dynamically
evolved through the last year, in order to find a soonest and durable
solution to the conflict on the basis of the norms and principles of
international law."