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'LAST CHANCE FOR ARMENIA,' THREATENS ALIYEV
Asbarez
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
BAKU (Combined Sources)-"This is the last chance for Armenia to leave
the occupied lands voluntarily for the sake of its own future and its
own security," threatened Azeri President Ilham Aliyev Tuesday during
the inauguration of a center for the so-called "Azeri Community of
Nagorno-Karabakh," reported the Turan news agency.
The threat comes two days after Aliyev held talks with Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, who urged both sides to refrain from "use of
force or the intention of use of force" to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
In his lengthy remarks, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had accepted the
updated Madrid Principles drafted by the OSCE Minks Group that is
mediating the peace process.
He said the time had come for Armenia to adopt the principles,
accusing Yerevan of deliberately delaying the process.
The Azeri President said his country's growing economic and military
potential and the strengthening of its position in the international
arena will help it restore its territorial integrity.
"Today our army is able to solve any task," the Azerbaijani President
said. Aliyev, however, did not touch upon the mechanism of development
of the final legal status of Nagrono-Karabakh during his speech.
In related news, Azerbaijan has denied Armenian claims that Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev presented his Armenian and Azerbaijani
counterparts with a new international plan to end the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict at their meeting in Saint Petersburg last month, reported
Radio Free Europe.
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian referred to them as "a new version
of the Madrid principles" of a Karabakh settlement at a joint news
conference in Yerevan with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
on Sunday.
President Serzh Sarkisian likewise spoke of "the latest version" of
the proposed framework accord as he met with the visiting French,
Russian and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Saturday. A
statement by his office said the document was "presented in the course
of the Saint Petersburg negotiations between the presidents of Armenia,
Russia and Azerbaijan."
The Azei Foreign Ministry dismissed these statements late on Monday.
"Even though Russia plays a large role in this process and the
Russian president has taken part in several meetings [between Aliyev
and Sarkisian,] proposals are drawn up only by the [Minsk Group]
co-chairs," Azerbaijani news agencies quoted the ministry spokesman,
Elkhan Polukhov, as saying.
"Updated Madrid proposals exist only in the form of a document, and
they were submitted to both parties last year," Polukhov said. "Only
various approaches were discussed in Saint Petersburg. The statement by
Nalbandian is only aimed at distracting the Armenian and international
publics from the essence of the issue."
The three co-chairs made no mention of the Saint Petersburg in a
statement issued after their latest tour of the conflict zone. They
instead reiterated the U.S., Russian and French presidents' joint calls
for the parties to "take the next step and move towards completing work
on the Basic Principles to enable the drafting of a peace agreement
to begin." They also urged the sides to "strictly observe the 1994
ceasefire and exercise restraint along the Line of Contact."
"During their visit, the Co-chairs also presented to the parties their
plan to undertake a mission to the occupied territories in this fall,
which was accepted in principle," added the statement.
From: A. Papazian
Asbarez
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
BAKU (Combined Sources)-"This is the last chance for Armenia to leave
the occupied lands voluntarily for the sake of its own future and its
own security," threatened Azeri President Ilham Aliyev Tuesday during
the inauguration of a center for the so-called "Azeri Community of
Nagorno-Karabakh," reported the Turan news agency.
The threat comes two days after Aliyev held talks with Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, who urged both sides to refrain from "use of
force or the intention of use of force" to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
In his lengthy remarks, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had accepted the
updated Madrid Principles drafted by the OSCE Minks Group that is
mediating the peace process.
He said the time had come for Armenia to adopt the principles,
accusing Yerevan of deliberately delaying the process.
The Azeri President said his country's growing economic and military
potential and the strengthening of its position in the international
arena will help it restore its territorial integrity.
"Today our army is able to solve any task," the Azerbaijani President
said. Aliyev, however, did not touch upon the mechanism of development
of the final legal status of Nagrono-Karabakh during his speech.
In related news, Azerbaijan has denied Armenian claims that Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev presented his Armenian and Azerbaijani
counterparts with a new international plan to end the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict at their meeting in Saint Petersburg last month, reported
Radio Free Europe.
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian referred to them as "a new version
of the Madrid principles" of a Karabakh settlement at a joint news
conference in Yerevan with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
on Sunday.
President Serzh Sarkisian likewise spoke of "the latest version" of
the proposed framework accord as he met with the visiting French,
Russian and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on Saturday. A
statement by his office said the document was "presented in the course
of the Saint Petersburg negotiations between the presidents of Armenia,
Russia and Azerbaijan."
The Azei Foreign Ministry dismissed these statements late on Monday.
"Even though Russia plays a large role in this process and the
Russian president has taken part in several meetings [between Aliyev
and Sarkisian,] proposals are drawn up only by the [Minsk Group]
co-chairs," Azerbaijani news agencies quoted the ministry spokesman,
Elkhan Polukhov, as saying.
"Updated Madrid proposals exist only in the form of a document, and
they were submitted to both parties last year," Polukhov said. "Only
various approaches were discussed in Saint Petersburg. The statement by
Nalbandian is only aimed at distracting the Armenian and international
publics from the essence of the issue."
The three co-chairs made no mention of the Saint Petersburg in a
statement issued after their latest tour of the conflict zone. They
instead reiterated the U.S., Russian and French presidents' joint calls
for the parties to "take the next step and move towards completing work
on the Basic Principles to enable the drafting of a peace agreement
to begin." They also urged the sides to "strictly observe the 1994
ceasefire and exercise restraint along the Line of Contact."
"During their visit, the Co-chairs also presented to the parties their
plan to undertake a mission to the occupied territories in this fall,
which was accepted in principle," added the statement.
From: A. Papazian