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AZERI OFFICIAL DENIES REPORTS ON BAKU'S CONSENT TO HOLD REFERENDUM IN KARABAKH
Turan news agency
3 Jul 06
Baku, 3 July: Speculations that Azerbaijan has agreed to hold a
referendum in Nagornyy Karabakh on its status is a lie, Azerbaijani
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has told reporters commenting on
relevant statements by Armenian officials.
He said that the Azerbaijani side had repeatedly spoken about the
possibility of holding only a nation-wide referendum on the country's
entire territory.
That is reflected in the constitution and the country's leadership
does not intend to revise its opinion.
As to a statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen on the Karabakh
peace talks, Azimov said that it was "premature" to make final
assessment until the end of the talks. Probably, the co-chairmen's
statement was aimed at "checking public opinion". However, the
statement was not comprehensive. "Separate passages taken out of
context cannot form an objective idea on the content of the talks,"
Azimov said.
In addition, the Armenian side distorts the content of the talks and
interprets the referendum subject in a manner advantageous to them.
Azerbaijan's position is clear: political issues can be settled
only when military consequences of the conflict are eliminated. "The
Azerbaijani population should return to Nagornyy Karabakh. For this
purpose, a peaceful atmosphere should be created and the occupied
territories should be liberated. The Armenian side has accepted this
logic," Azimov said.
He denied Armenian reports about a special status of [occupied]
Lacin and Kalbacar districts. Both sides are interested in the secure
functioning of the Lacin corridor via which Azerbaijan has transport
communication with [Azerbaijani exclave of] Naxcivan and Armenia with
Nagornyy Karabakh.
As to Kalbacar, the issue of [ensuring] security of Nagornyy Karabakh
can be solved through the deployment of international observers
or peacekeepers.
Therefore, Armenians' attempts to preserve control over Lacin and
Kalbacar are groundless.
Azimov also spoke about the impossibility of one-sided demilitarization
of the region. Commenting on the course of the talks, he said that
the effectiveness of the talks depended on political will of "the
opposite" side.
Turan news agency
3 Jul 06
Baku, 3 July: Speculations that Azerbaijan has agreed to hold a
referendum in Nagornyy Karabakh on its status is a lie, Azerbaijani
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has told reporters commenting on
relevant statements by Armenian officials.
He said that the Azerbaijani side had repeatedly spoken about the
possibility of holding only a nation-wide referendum on the country's
entire territory.
That is reflected in the constitution and the country's leadership
does not intend to revise its opinion.
As to a statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen on the Karabakh
peace talks, Azimov said that it was "premature" to make final
assessment until the end of the talks. Probably, the co-chairmen's
statement was aimed at "checking public opinion". However, the
statement was not comprehensive. "Separate passages taken out of
context cannot form an objective idea on the content of the talks,"
Azimov said.
In addition, the Armenian side distorts the content of the talks and
interprets the referendum subject in a manner advantageous to them.
Azerbaijan's position is clear: political issues can be settled
only when military consequences of the conflict are eliminated. "The
Azerbaijani population should return to Nagornyy Karabakh. For this
purpose, a peaceful atmosphere should be created and the occupied
territories should be liberated. The Armenian side has accepted this
logic," Azimov said.
He denied Armenian reports about a special status of [occupied]
Lacin and Kalbacar districts. Both sides are interested in the secure
functioning of the Lacin corridor via which Azerbaijan has transport
communication with [Azerbaijani exclave of] Naxcivan and Armenia with
Nagornyy Karabakh.
As to Kalbacar, the issue of [ensuring] security of Nagornyy Karabakh
can be solved through the deployment of international observers
or peacekeepers.
Therefore, Armenians' attempts to preserve control over Lacin and
Kalbacar are groundless.
Azimov also spoke about the impossibility of one-sided demilitarization
of the region. Commenting on the course of the talks, he said that
the effectiveness of the talks depended on political will of "the
opposite" side.