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BAKU HOSTS CONSULTATIONS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH
ITAR-TASS
November 30, 2011 Wednesday 09:28 PM GMT+4
Russia
Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, who mediate in the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, had consultations with the Azerbaijani
leadership on Wednesday, November 30.
"International mediators met with Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev,
Defence Minister Safar Abiyev and members of the Azerbaijani community
in Nagorno-Karabakh," diplomatic sources in Baku said, but provided
no details.
A brief press release issued by the presidential press service said
that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and the Azerbaijani president
"exchanged views on the state of and prospects for the talks on the
resolution of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh".
The new French co-chairman, Jacques Faure, was presented to Aliyev. He
replaced Bernard Fassier.
Sources say that the participants in the Baku consultations discussed
"the possibility of organising negotiations between the Foreign
Ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia at the 18th meeting of the OSCE
Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Vilnius on December 6-7."
Prior to Baku, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen had talks with the
leadership of Armenia and entered in Azerbaijan by crossing the
militarised line of contact separating the sides.
Aliyev believes the time has come to change the status quo in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and return refugees and forced migrants to
the places of their permanent residence.
"Living on one's own land is a fundamental right of people, of which
they have been deprived for years by the Armenian armed forces,"
Aliyev said earlier.
He stressed that incidents on the line of engagement "seriously
reduce mutual trust and can create a situation will unpredictable
consequences."
"The conflict can be resolved on the basis of rules and principles
of international law. The current format of the talks can lead to a
peaceful settlement," the Azerbaijani president said
He believes that the questions now under discussion can lead to
a restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and return of
refugees and forced migrants to their homes.
"At the same time, we can give Nagorno-Karabakh the status of
self-government, strong political guarantees and security guarantees,"
he said.
Aliyev said this formula is being discussed at the talks and Azerbaijan
is ready to continue them in this format.
Aliyev urged Armenia to continue peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan, as before, will remain committed to peace talks, hoping
that they will bear fruit," Aliyev said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan "is ready to continue the talks and finish
them as soon as possible and reach such a result that will be based
on the rules and principles of international law, within the framework
of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity."
Aliyev stressed that "Azerbaijan will never allow the initial process
to become open-ended and endless."
"We are engaged in negotiations in order to get our land freed. We
are conducting them in order to restore the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan recognised by the international community," he said.
The president expressed hope that the entities and mediators dealing
with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would "have their categorical say".
"The time has long been ripe for that. Otherwise, these negotiations
will be completely senseless. Negotiations are conducted for a result,
not for its semblance," Aliyev said.
He said, "The Karabakh conflict is a real threat to the region."
The head of state called for a speedy and fair settlement in Karabakh
on the basis of international law. "We understand that major states
want the region to live in peace and stability, without war. We want
that too. But this does not mean that the conflict should remain
frozen," he said.
Aliyev said he was hoping "positive tendencies" in the negotiations.
The president said earlier that the Karabakh talks were in "a crucial
stage."
"Negotiations over the past five to six years have led to the drafting
of proposals on the settlement, which were officially presented to
the parties to the conflict by international mediators - co-chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group. These proposals are balanced and can lead
to a peaceful settlement of the problem within the framework of
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," Aliyev said.
The mediators' proposals call for "freeing the occupied Azerbaijani
territories, returning refugees to their homeland, deploying
peacekeeping troops in the region for security reasons, and opening
a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," Aliyev said.
Speaking of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said it was
"a matter of the future."
"We have said many times that we will never agree to any status for
Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan, and international law supports
our positions," the president said.
ITAR-TASS
November 30, 2011 Wednesday 09:28 PM GMT+4
Russia
Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, who mediate in the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, had consultations with the Azerbaijani
leadership on Wednesday, November 30.
"International mediators met with Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev,
Defence Minister Safar Abiyev and members of the Azerbaijani community
in Nagorno-Karabakh," diplomatic sources in Baku said, but provided
no details.
A brief press release issued by the presidential press service said
that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and the Azerbaijani president
"exchanged views on the state of and prospects for the talks on the
resolution of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh".
The new French co-chairman, Jacques Faure, was presented to Aliyev. He
replaced Bernard Fassier.
Sources say that the participants in the Baku consultations discussed
"the possibility of organising negotiations between the Foreign
Ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia at the 18th meeting of the OSCE
Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Vilnius on December 6-7."
Prior to Baku, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen had talks with the
leadership of Armenia and entered in Azerbaijan by crossing the
militarised line of contact separating the sides.
Aliyev believes the time has come to change the status quo in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and return refugees and forced migrants to
the places of their permanent residence.
"Living on one's own land is a fundamental right of people, of which
they have been deprived for years by the Armenian armed forces,"
Aliyev said earlier.
He stressed that incidents on the line of engagement "seriously
reduce mutual trust and can create a situation will unpredictable
consequences."
"The conflict can be resolved on the basis of rules and principles
of international law. The current format of the talks can lead to a
peaceful settlement," the Azerbaijani president said
He believes that the questions now under discussion can lead to
a restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and return of
refugees and forced migrants to their homes.
"At the same time, we can give Nagorno-Karabakh the status of
self-government, strong political guarantees and security guarantees,"
he said.
Aliyev said this formula is being discussed at the talks and Azerbaijan
is ready to continue them in this format.
Aliyev urged Armenia to continue peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan, as before, will remain committed to peace talks, hoping
that they will bear fruit," Aliyev said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan "is ready to continue the talks and finish
them as soon as possible and reach such a result that will be based
on the rules and principles of international law, within the framework
of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity."
Aliyev stressed that "Azerbaijan will never allow the initial process
to become open-ended and endless."
"We are engaged in negotiations in order to get our land freed. We
are conducting them in order to restore the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan recognised by the international community," he said.
The president expressed hope that the entities and mediators dealing
with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would "have their categorical say".
"The time has long been ripe for that. Otherwise, these negotiations
will be completely senseless. Negotiations are conducted for a result,
not for its semblance," Aliyev said.
He said, "The Karabakh conflict is a real threat to the region."
The head of state called for a speedy and fair settlement in Karabakh
on the basis of international law. "We understand that major states
want the region to live in peace and stability, without war. We want
that too. But this does not mean that the conflict should remain
frozen," he said.
Aliyev said he was hoping "positive tendencies" in the negotiations.
The president said earlier that the Karabakh talks were in "a crucial
stage."
"Negotiations over the past five to six years have led to the drafting
of proposals on the settlement, which were officially presented to
the parties to the conflict by international mediators - co-chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group. These proposals are balanced and can lead
to a peaceful settlement of the problem within the framework of
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," Aliyev said.
The mediators' proposals call for "freeing the occupied Azerbaijani
territories, returning refugees to their homeland, deploying
peacekeeping troops in the region for security reasons, and opening
a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," Aliyev said.
Speaking of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said it was
"a matter of the future."
"We have said many times that we will never agree to any status for
Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan, and international law supports
our positions," the president said.