BAKU CALLS KARABAKH POLLS ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL ARMENIAN OCCUPATION POLICY

The Financial
May 25 2010
Georgia

The FINANCIAL — BAKU. Recent parliamentary polls in Nagorny Karabakh
were an unsuccessful attempt by Armenia to conceal its occupation of
the breakaway Azerbaijani region, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
said on May 24, according to RIA Novosti.

The predominantly ethnic Armenian region, which has been a bone
of contention between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and
Azerbaijan since the late 1980s, elected its 33-seat parliament on
May 23.

“Yet another attempt by the Armenian Republic to conceal its
annexationist policy and occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories has
ended in inevitable failure. Through its actions, the Armenian side is
deceiving nobody but its own people,” the ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that Baku shared the concerns of its international
partners, that the parliamentary elections in the breakaway region
may have a negative impact on Armenian-Azerbaijani peace efforts.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh
first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed independence from
Azerbaijan to join Armenia.

Over 30,000 people are estimated to have died on both sides between
1988 and 1994, when a ceasefire was agreed. Nagorny Karabakh has
remained in Armenian control and tensions between Azerbaijan and
Armenia have persisted.

The foreign ministry statement said the conflict in and around Nagorny
Karabakh can only be resolved on the basis of principles that respect
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and the inviolability
of internationally accepted borders, as well as peaceful cohabitation
of Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the Nagorny Karabakh region.

“Azerbaijan once again calls on Armenia to halt its destructive policy
and hold talks on the basis of goodwill in order to find a quick and
stable solution to the conflict,” the statement said.

The conflict has been mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group that comprises
the United States, Russia and France.

From: A. Papazian