Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 8 2006
Aliyev expects no new ideas from Garabagh mediators
Baku, May 5, AssA-Irada
The OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict are reviewing various options and
there could be new ideas in the proposals regarding the conflict
resolution to be further made to the sides, President Ilham Aliyev
has said. He said, however, that he does not believe the novelties
will be of fundamental nature.
`I don’t think the co-chairs will come up with brand new proposals,’
he told a news conference after the ninth summit of the Economic
Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Baku on Friday.
Aliyev said the mediators are likely to make some additions to the
proposals already discussed on various levels. In this case, it will
be possible to achieve progress in peace talks, he said.
As for Azerbaijan’s position, the president said it hasn’t and will
not change. `We do not want any emergencies. Azerbaijan is seeking a
conflict resolution based on the principles of international law.’
Aliyev said Baku supports applying the existing international
practice on ethnic minorities to the Garabagh conflict. `We will not
support the use of new methods that run counter to international
legal norms.’
The Azeri leader reiterated that to achieve a peace accord, first of
all, Armenia has to withdraw from the occupied Azeri territories and
refugees must return home. `Our position remains unchanged,’ he said.
Aliyev expressed hope that the intermediaries, and, more importantly,
the Armenian leadership, will realize this. `Only in this case can
any results be achieved in the negotiating process,’ he added.*