International Crisis Group urges Armenian pull-out from occupied Azeri lands
Mediamax news agency
12 Sep 05
Yerevan, 12 September: [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev’s
frequent public statements about an increase in the military budget
of Azerbaijan are “moves in wrong direction”, the vice-president
of the International Crisis Group (ICG), Alain Deletroz, said in
Yerevan today.
Addressing a news conference in Yerevan today, Alain Deletroz said
that “the arms race will be extremely dangerous for the sides of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and for the region on the whole”. This is
why, the ICG vice-president thinks, “Armenia and Azerbaijan should
use the chance for the settlement of the conflict given by the Prague
process”.
Alain Deletroz said that on 14 September the International Crisis Group
will issue its report which contains recommendations to the parties in
the conflict for the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh problem. The
ICG vice-president mentioned basic recommendations to the authorities
of Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh listed in the report: to continue
the Prague process; not to allow appearance of new settlements on
occupied territories; to pull out troops from the occupied territories.
As for determining the status of Nagornyy Karabakh, Alain Deletroz
thinks this issue cannot be solved today and it is necessary to return
to it in 10-15 years “by means of democratic procedures”. The ICG
vice-president believes that till that time Nagornyy Karabakh will
be under the protection of international security guarantees.
[Passage omitted: ICG background]