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Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov calls on to implement Security Council resolutions on Nagorno Karabakh at the General Debate of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly

26 September 2009 11:43 (UTC +04:00)

â€œThe most vivid example of misconduct of the norms and principles of international law is almost two decades long and still unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which also stands out as a major threat to international and regional peace and security. As a result of the aggression conducted by Armenia almost one-fifth of the territory of Azerbaijan has been occupied, approximately 1 million ethnically cleansed Azerbaijani population has become internally displaced and refugees, thousands of Azerbaijani historical-cultural heritage devastated and lootedâ€, said Mammadyarov. â€œThe United Nations Security Council in its four resolutions on the conflict reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory of the other state. It has also recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 62/243 of 14 March 2008, entitled â€œThe situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijanâ€, expressed respect and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized bordersâ€, he said. â€œThe approach of the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly reflected in the above-mentioned resolutions is fully consistent with the position of Azerbaijan, which from the beginning advocated for a step-by-step approach to the conflict settlement as the only viable option. A number of important steps have to be taken, starting with the withdrawal of Armenian forces from all the occupied territories, rehabilitation of these territories and return of the internally displaced persons to their homes in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, opening of all communications for the mutual use. This will allow removing the consequences of the conflict and will pave the way for the establishment of durable peace and stability in the region conducive to the elaboration of the legal status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within Azerbaijan with due account of the equally heard voices of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the regionâ€, said the Minister.

â€œThe current settlement process gives some hopes for breaking the stalemate in the resolution of the conflict. The acceptance by Armenia of the step-by-step approach to the settlement of the conflict on the basis of the principles and norms of international law and the decisions and documents adopted in this framework as reflected in the Joint Declaration signed in Moscow in November 2008 by the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation is a positive sign. Azerbaijan is ready to continue talks with Armeniaâ€™s leadership for the secure and stable South Caucasus region and beyond which will allow using the ample regional opportunities for the benefit of allâ€, Mammadyarov emphasized.

Briefly sharing positive economic performance of Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov stated that the successful implementation of the infrastructure projects such as Baku-Supsa, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export oil pipelines and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline boosted not only Azerbaijanâ€™s economy, but also contributed to the development of neighbouring States. According to him, completion of the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad and commissioning of the brand new seaport Alat on the Azerbaijani coast of the Caspian Sea will increase the role of Azerbaijan as a communication hub linking Europe with Asia.