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KARABAKH STATUS QUO CANNOT LAST LONG - BAKU OFFICIAL
news.az
Sept 6 2011
Azerbaijan
A top Azerbaijani official has said that the situation of "neither
peace, nor war" in the Karabakh conflict cannot go on indefinitely.
Ali Hasanov, head of the public policy department at the Presidential
Administration, made the comments to journalists in Baku on Tuesday.
He was responding to remarks by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on 1
September that "the people of Nagorno-Karabakh made full use of their
right to self-determination and gained the right to independence at
the expense of their blood".
The presidential official restated Baku's position that the conflict
could be solved only through Karabakh remaining part of Azerbaijan.
"We have stated many times that there is a simple formula in the
process of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: the
problem must be solved within the norms of international law," Ali
Hasanov said.
"The Azerbaijani president has spoken about this formula many
times and stated what issues are on the agenda for negotiations:
i.e. the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh
must be restored and the national and ethnic civil rights of all the
population and peace in Nagorno-Karabakh must be secured. These norms
are known and the negotiations have been continuing on these norms for
several years. To put it simply, Armenia's absence of will or the fact
that it does not depend on its own will or its non-constructiveness
or compulsion to non-constructiveness delay these processes."
The head of the department said a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem would have to be found sooner or later. "The situation
of 'neither war, nor peace' cannot continue for long in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The internally displaced people cannot
live in temporary settlements for a long time."
He said that Azerbaijan was ready to continue talks to settle the
conflict.
"Azerbaijan does not think that the potential of negotiations on a
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has been exhausted.
The Azerbaijani president has stated many times that 'if I feel that
the potential of negotiations has ended and they are continuing
only for their own sake, Azerbaijan will give up the negotiations
and restore its territorial integrity by other means,'" Hasanov
told journalists.
He said that Azerbaijan could not say for sure that the potential
had been exhausted. "The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as other
institutions that participate in international peacekeeping processes,
allow us to think that this problem can be resolved peacefully through
pressure on Armenia."
Hasanov said he could say nothing specific about the next meeting
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents. There has been
speculation that the leaders will meet later this month on the
sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Hasanov criticizes the press
Addressing a training course in election rights for local officials
at the Central Election Commission on Tuesday, Ali Hasanov criticized
the quality of newspapers in Azerbaijan.
"Unfortunately, today newspapers in the country have lost their
position in terms of information. Now people believe information from
the TV and radio. Someone who reads the same news in a newspaper does
not believe that information without hearing it from the TV or radio."
Hasanov accused newspapers of writing positive or negative information
about the same person for material interests. He said that they
wrote postively about a person if paid to do so, and negatively if
the person did not pay.
There are newspapers that "arrest" the most important ministers 10
times, and "sack" them 15 times, Hasanov continued.
He said that the law should be the basis of any work and underlined
the importance of transparency.
news.az
Sept 6 2011
Azerbaijan
A top Azerbaijani official has said that the situation of "neither
peace, nor war" in the Karabakh conflict cannot go on indefinitely.
Ali Hasanov, head of the public policy department at the Presidential
Administration, made the comments to journalists in Baku on Tuesday.
He was responding to remarks by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on 1
September that "the people of Nagorno-Karabakh made full use of their
right to self-determination and gained the right to independence at
the expense of their blood".
The presidential official restated Baku's position that the conflict
could be solved only through Karabakh remaining part of Azerbaijan.
"We have stated many times that there is a simple formula in the
process of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: the
problem must be solved within the norms of international law," Ali
Hasanov said.
"The Azerbaijani president has spoken about this formula many
times and stated what issues are on the agenda for negotiations:
i.e. the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh
must be restored and the national and ethnic civil rights of all the
population and peace in Nagorno-Karabakh must be secured. These norms
are known and the negotiations have been continuing on these norms for
several years. To put it simply, Armenia's absence of will or the fact
that it does not depend on its own will or its non-constructiveness
or compulsion to non-constructiveness delay these processes."
The head of the department said a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem would have to be found sooner or later. "The situation
of 'neither war, nor peace' cannot continue for long in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The internally displaced people cannot
live in temporary settlements for a long time."
He said that Azerbaijan was ready to continue talks to settle the
conflict.
"Azerbaijan does not think that the potential of negotiations on a
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has been exhausted.
The Azerbaijani president has stated many times that 'if I feel that
the potential of negotiations has ended and they are continuing
only for their own sake, Azerbaijan will give up the negotiations
and restore its territorial integrity by other means,'" Hasanov
told journalists.
He said that Azerbaijan could not say for sure that the potential
had been exhausted. "The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as other
institutions that participate in international peacekeeping processes,
allow us to think that this problem can be resolved peacefully through
pressure on Armenia."
Hasanov said he could say nothing specific about the next meeting
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents. There has been
speculation that the leaders will meet later this month on the
sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Hasanov criticizes the press
Addressing a training course in election rights for local officials
at the Central Election Commission on Tuesday, Ali Hasanov criticized
the quality of newspapers in Azerbaijan.
"Unfortunately, today newspapers in the country have lost their
position in terms of information. Now people believe information from
the TV and radio. Someone who reads the same news in a newspaper does
not believe that information without hearing it from the TV or radio."
Hasanov accused newspapers of writing positive or negative information
about the same person for material interests. He said that they
wrote postively about a person if paid to do so, and negatively if
the person did not pay.
There are newspapers that "arrest" the most important ministers 10
times, and "sack" them 15 times, Hasanov continued.
He said that the law should be the basis of any work and underlined
the importance of transparency.