AZERBAIJANI POLITICAL EXPERT ON POSSIBLE LIBERATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED LANDS IN 2010

Today
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May 17 2010
Azerbaijan

Talks on liberation of occupied Azerbaijani territories have been held
for long, Azerbaijani political expert Rasim Agayev said commenting
on Armenian media report that Russia has submitted Armenia liberation
scheme of Azerbaijan’s occupied lands and possible liberation of
lands in 2010.

"These are more important elements of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement. This (liberation of occupied Azerbaijani lands) is
stipulated in both original and updated versions of the Madrid
principles," the expert said.

"The whole issue is about consent of the parties to agree to settle
the conflict on basis of some compromises. The Armenian side has
announced on numerous occasions that it has agreed, but when it
comes to liberation of territories, it say that it agrees to exchange
lands for the independence of the self-proclaimed "Nagorno Karabakh
Republic". Azerbaijan will never agree to this," the expert added.

"It makes one to conclude that the Armenian side does not want to
change the status quo and simply pulls the rubber. But the Azerbaijani
side believes that the territorial integrity can not be a matter of
exchange," Agayev noted.

"I think all three co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group wants stability in
the region, they want Russian retain its position in relation to both
Armenia and in Azerbaijan and want the U.S. receive the appropriate
space for their geopolitical moves in the South Caucasus and further
in the East. But the U.S. must explain to Armenia that it is high
time to end imitating negotiations," he said.

"So, I think that the news that flashed in the Armenian press is
not groundless. Probably, there is something like this. We have seen
see enhanced diplomatic activity in the Ankara-Moscow-South Caucasus
triangle lately, and all talks are about how to induce the parties
to the settlement," the political expert said.

"But I do not think it can happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

It all requires a great deal of preparatory work. I think that it
will require much time to coordinate the road map," Agayev added.