ELECTIONS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH DO NOT MATTER – OSCE CHAIRMAN

news.az
May 25 2010
Azerbaijan

Kanat Saudabayev Parliamentary elections held in Nagorno Karabakh on
May 23 did not contribute to the settlement of the conflict in the
region, said OSCE chairman.

“As the OSCE does not recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh,
the holding of” elections “have no meaning or effect on the
process of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement”, OSCE chairman, Foreign
Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev said in an interview with
Interfax-Kazakhstan on Monday.

He also said he supported the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group on
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will continue to promote political
negotiations between all parties in the framework of the Minsk process.

Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy Catherine Ashton also said that the EU does not recognize the
legitimate upcoming elections.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned the intention to hold
elections in Nagorno-Karabakh. “The holding of such ‘elections ‘
violates the relevant provisions of the Constitution, as well as
rules and principles of international law, since these ‘elections’
are conducted in the absence of indigenous Azerbaijani population of
Nagorno-Karabakh and thus do not have any legal force”, the Foreign
Ministry states .

From: A. Papazian