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BAKU WELCOMES STATEMENT OF MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIR COUNTRIES' LEADERS
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
June 19 2013
By Sara Rajabova
The statement made by the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing
countries on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reflects Azerbaijan's
position, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev
said at a news briefing on June 19.
The presidents of France, Russia and the United States on June 18
issued a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict expressing
deep regret that the parties have not been able to find a solution
of the problem in the course of negotiations.
According to Abdullayev, Baku's position is characterized by
pragmatism. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stressed the need for a just
solution to the conflict that respects the country's territorial
integrity, he said.
Abdullayev noted that the restoration of justice means a return of the
Armenia-occupied territories and a return of refugees to their homes.
"The presidents of the co-chairing countries rightly noted that the
use of military force becomes the reason for the rise of instability
and confrontation. In order to prevent this, the Azerbaijani lands
must be returned and the Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn
from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Armenia has violated
the principle of non-use of force, which resulted in the occupation
of Azerbaijani lands," the Foreign Ministry official said.
Speaking about the failure to hold a meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents, Abdullayev said that due to Armenia's failure to
accept the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the updated
Madrid principles, it has became impossible to organize high-level
meetings.
According to Abdullayev, for a peaceful future of the region Armenia
should give up its expansionist policy.
"The current policy of Armenia puts the security of the region at
risk. Azerbaijan has repeatedly demanded a solution based on the
'road map', which is reflected in the negotiations. Unfortunately,
Armenia rejects the proposal made by Azerbaijan and the co-chairs
and the main evidence of this is that Armenia has not accepted for a
long time the updated Madrid principles proposed by the co-chairs,"
Abdullayev said.
Azerbaijan immediately considered the updated Madrid principles
proposed by the co-chairs and accepted them, the Foreign Ministry
official noted.
"Despite the activity of the co-chairs, the conflict has not yet been
resolved. In order to resolve the conflict the co-chairs of the Minsk
Group should exert more pressure over Armenia," he said.
The rights of the Azerbaijani people have been violated, as nearly
a million people became refugees, and as long as Armenia fails to
relinquish its aggressive policy, security of the region will be
under threat, Abdullayev said.
Presidents of France, Russia and the United States Francois Hollande,
Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama said in the mentioned joint statement
that as the leaders of the Minsk Group co-chair countries they
"remain committed to helping the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict reach a lasting and peaceful settlement".
"We express our deep regret that, rather than trying to find a solution
based upon mutual interests, the parties have continued to seek
one-sided advantage in the negotiation process," the statement said.
The three presidents reiterated that only a negotiated settlement can
lead to peace, stability and reconciliation, opening opportunities
for regional development and cooperation, and the use of military
force that has already caused the current situation of confrontation
and instability will not resolve the conflict.
"A renewal of hostilities would be disastrous for the population of
the region, resulting in loss of life, more destruction, additional
refugees, and enormous financial costs. We strongly urge the leaders
of all the sides to recommit to the Helsinki principles, particularly
those relating to the non-use of force or the threat of force,
territorial integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of
peoples. We also appeal to them to refrain from any actions or rhetoric
that could raise tension in the region and lead to escalation of the
conflict. The leaders should prepare their people for peace, not war,"
the statement reads.
The presidents also expressed readiness to assist the sides, but said
"the responsibility for putting an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
remains with them."
They also expressed strong belief that further delay in reaching a
balanced agreement on the framework for a comprehensive peace is
unacceptable, and urged the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to
focus with renewed energy on the issues that remain unresolved.
Commenting on the issue, deputy chairman of the ruling Yeni (New)
Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov told media that the presidents of the
co-chairing countries have made statements voicing concern over
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and as a whole this can
be assessed positively. According to him, this can be considered as
the fact that the large Minsk Group co-chairing countries have not
forgotten about the settlement of the conflict.
But he emphasized that more importantly, the conflict has not been
resolved yet though more than 20 years have passed.
"The situation with more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and
IDPs has not changed. They are still unable to return home. Therefore,
the historical truth has not been restored."
The Minsk Group, which has undertaken such a responsible mission as
the conflict settlement, cannot cope with the problem, he said.
"I cannot imagine that anyone could be blamed by the Minsk Group, which
has taken on the conflict settlement mission and has not fulfilled the
task for 20 years," he said. "It is simply impossible to understand
this logic. Since the aggressor has not been named and the Minsk Group
co-chairmen have not set forth specific requirements to liberate the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan, it will be impossible to promote
the conflict settlement. I believe that it would be better if the
Minsk Group co-chairing countries expressed a particular attitude
to this issue and it would be possible to achieve more significant
action for the conflict settlement," Ahmadov said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against the neighboring country. Since a lengthy
war between the two South Caucasus countries that displaced over
a million Azerbaijanis and ended with the signing of a precarious
cease-fire in 1994, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent
of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on a pullout from the occupied territories.
Peace talks brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have been
largely fruitless so far.
The negotiations are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed
by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles, also
known as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control;
determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor
linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally
displaced persons to return home.
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
June 19 2013
By Sara Rajabova
The statement made by the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing
countries on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reflects Azerbaijan's
position, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev
said at a news briefing on June 19.
The presidents of France, Russia and the United States on June 18
issued a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict expressing
deep regret that the parties have not been able to find a solution
of the problem in the course of negotiations.
According to Abdullayev, Baku's position is characterized by
pragmatism. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stressed the need for a just
solution to the conflict that respects the country's territorial
integrity, he said.
Abdullayev noted that the restoration of justice means a return of the
Armenia-occupied territories and a return of refugees to their homes.
"The presidents of the co-chairing countries rightly noted that the
use of military force becomes the reason for the rise of instability
and confrontation. In order to prevent this, the Azerbaijani lands
must be returned and the Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn
from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Armenia has violated
the principle of non-use of force, which resulted in the occupation
of Azerbaijani lands," the Foreign Ministry official said.
Speaking about the failure to hold a meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents, Abdullayev said that due to Armenia's failure to
accept the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the updated
Madrid principles, it has became impossible to organize high-level
meetings.
According to Abdullayev, for a peaceful future of the region Armenia
should give up its expansionist policy.
"The current policy of Armenia puts the security of the region at
risk. Azerbaijan has repeatedly demanded a solution based on the
'road map', which is reflected in the negotiations. Unfortunately,
Armenia rejects the proposal made by Azerbaijan and the co-chairs
and the main evidence of this is that Armenia has not accepted for a
long time the updated Madrid principles proposed by the co-chairs,"
Abdullayev said.
Azerbaijan immediately considered the updated Madrid principles
proposed by the co-chairs and accepted them, the Foreign Ministry
official noted.
"Despite the activity of the co-chairs, the conflict has not yet been
resolved. In order to resolve the conflict the co-chairs of the Minsk
Group should exert more pressure over Armenia," he said.
The rights of the Azerbaijani people have been violated, as nearly
a million people became refugees, and as long as Armenia fails to
relinquish its aggressive policy, security of the region will be
under threat, Abdullayev said.
Presidents of France, Russia and the United States Francois Hollande,
Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama said in the mentioned joint statement
that as the leaders of the Minsk Group co-chair countries they
"remain committed to helping the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict reach a lasting and peaceful settlement".
"We express our deep regret that, rather than trying to find a solution
based upon mutual interests, the parties have continued to seek
one-sided advantage in the negotiation process," the statement said.
The three presidents reiterated that only a negotiated settlement can
lead to peace, stability and reconciliation, opening opportunities
for regional development and cooperation, and the use of military
force that has already caused the current situation of confrontation
and instability will not resolve the conflict.
"A renewal of hostilities would be disastrous for the population of
the region, resulting in loss of life, more destruction, additional
refugees, and enormous financial costs. We strongly urge the leaders
of all the sides to recommit to the Helsinki principles, particularly
those relating to the non-use of force or the threat of force,
territorial integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of
peoples. We also appeal to them to refrain from any actions or rhetoric
that could raise tension in the region and lead to escalation of the
conflict. The leaders should prepare their people for peace, not war,"
the statement reads.
The presidents also expressed readiness to assist the sides, but said
"the responsibility for putting an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
remains with them."
They also expressed strong belief that further delay in reaching a
balanced agreement on the framework for a comprehensive peace is
unacceptable, and urged the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to
focus with renewed energy on the issues that remain unresolved.
Commenting on the issue, deputy chairman of the ruling Yeni (New)
Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov told media that the presidents of the
co-chairing countries have made statements voicing concern over
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and as a whole this can
be assessed positively. According to him, this can be considered as
the fact that the large Minsk Group co-chairing countries have not
forgotten about the settlement of the conflict.
But he emphasized that more importantly, the conflict has not been
resolved yet though more than 20 years have passed.
"The situation with more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and
IDPs has not changed. They are still unable to return home. Therefore,
the historical truth has not been restored."
The Minsk Group, which has undertaken such a responsible mission as
the conflict settlement, cannot cope with the problem, he said.
"I cannot imagine that anyone could be blamed by the Minsk Group, which
has taken on the conflict settlement mission and has not fulfilled the
task for 20 years," he said. "It is simply impossible to understand
this logic. Since the aggressor has not been named and the Minsk Group
co-chairmen have not set forth specific requirements to liberate the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan, it will be impossible to promote
the conflict settlement. I believe that it would be better if the
Minsk Group co-chairing countries expressed a particular attitude
to this issue and it would be possible to achieve more significant
action for the conflict settlement," Ahmadov said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against the neighboring country. Since a lengthy
war between the two South Caucasus countries that displaced over
a million Azerbaijanis and ended with the signing of a precarious
cease-fire in 1994, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent
of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on a pullout from the occupied territories.
Peace talks brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have been
largely fruitless so far.
The negotiations are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed
by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles, also
known as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control;
determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor
linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally
displaced persons to return home.