Foreign

Home page

Foreign

Araz Azimov: â€œIf the opening of Turkish-Armenian borders is carried out in unilateral format, the liberation of lands from occupation will be delayedâ€

20 October 2009 18:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov answered the questions about the principles of solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. According to APA, the deputy minister said three principles of the international law, territorial integrity, non-use of force and self-determination are reviewed and the territorial integrity of the countries and inviolability of the borders stay as a background of those principles as a common denominator. â€œThe self-determination shouldnâ€™t lead to the division of the country or separation of the borders without the countryâ€™s permission. The self-determination is not independence and it doesnâ€™t give any right. This right can be provided only within the territorial integrity and can be reviewed as a domestic self-determination and valued as a norm in the international experienceâ€.

In the talks with Armenia, Azerbaijan is ready to pass the determination of the status of self-administration of the population of Karabakh region within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as a common denominator, from the position of vertical administration according to its position. We are expecting from Armenia the same attitude, to leave its demands for independence of Nagorno Karabakh, which violates the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and to agree with the common denominator proposed by Azerbaijan (self-determination within the territorial integrity). It is a compromise option and can be valued constructively. It is impossible to change territories and borders of Azerbaijan without its permission. So Armenia has two options: it agrees with the continuation of current situation or agrees with the solution to the conflict on the basis of above-mentioned common denominator. We donâ€™t see clearness from Armenia on this issue.

Particularly, regarding the issue of status, we have to notice that changing of status should be objective and carried out in the objective conditions. What the objective condition includes: lifting of the occupation factor and return of all territories, restoration of relevant infrastructure and return of population, particularly the Azerbaijanis of Nagorno Karabakh. The issue is not solved without return of Azerbaijanis to the occupied regions and the status of Nagornmo Karabakh can be determined only with the participation of whole population of the region. The population should live together in this region again, work peacefully and together, and establish peaceful neighborhood relations without enmity. The issue of status can be reviewed only in this condition. I would like to emphasize again that the factor of occupation must be lifted, the roads must be restored and cooperation should replace the enmity for the determination of the status.

The liberation of the territories, return of population, restoration of cooperation are in the focus for solution of the problems ahead until that period and Azerbaijani side would cooperate with the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians to solve these issues. After the liberation of the occupied lands

Azerbaijanis must be provided with necessary conditions, when they return to Nagorno Karabakh. And there should be an opportunity for them to establish relations with their Armenian neighbors. At the same time, there should be opportunities for Armenia to cooperate with Azerbaijani side in Nagorno Karabakh. Moreover, different programs will be implemented in Nagorno Karabakh by various international organizations. In order to establish cooperation and provide the population there to live with equal rights, application of temporary agreements (temporary status) is proposed unless the final status is determined. And it will ensure the protection and equal rights of both (Azerbaijani and Armenian) communities of the region. In certain stage of discussions, representatives of both communities of Nagorno Karabakh will join the processes in order to have an opportunity to part take in discussions and solutions of the issues they are concerned about.

If it is accepted as one of the principles of recognition of IDPsâ€™ rights to return to their homelands within the framework of the conflict, we must specify some issues again. So, both sides have populations who were obliged to change their places during the 20-year history of the conflict. However, except those, who have become refugees from the territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is a group, which has suffered most, the group of 700 thousand IDPs only in Azerbaijan (as it is the side undergone ethnic cleansing and occupation). The problems of refuges from both sides will be solved in the next stages on mutual basis. Occupied territories must be released, IDPS must return to their homelands and itâ€™s not enough to recognize only the returning right in this situation. Their return must be ensured by Armenia as a commitment. If we approach this issue from legal and political point of view, first and foremost Azerbaijanis forcedly driven out from Nagorno Karabakh region must return to their homelands, because only their return will create objective condition for elimination of results of ethnic cleansing and determination of status. Such approach is imperative in terms of international legal norms and principles. One of the factors in the solution to the conflict will be the opening of roads and borders â€“ the first principle â€“ all roads and borders must be opened at the same time, second principle â€“ their opening is possible only after the release of the occupied territories. If the opening of Turkish-Armenian borders is carried out in unilateral format, the liberation of lands from occupation will be delayed and it will create obstacles for Azerbaijanis to return to Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding regions. We propose the opening of Turkish-Armenian borders as an element in the solution to the conflict, liberation of the lands from the occupation, and joint implementation of use of roads, particularly the Lachin corridor. Such principle must be accepted and confirmed in this stage. Otherwise, the solution process of the conflict will delay without itâ€.