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Elmar Mammadyarov: â€œThe withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied territories will stimulate very serious positive processesâ€

25 April 2011 14:07 (UTC +04:00)

He made comments on the impact of the South Ossetian war on the settlement of the frozen conflicts in the Caucasus: â€œThis was a shock, but it pushed toward the intensification of the negotiations over the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. In 2009, a renovated version of the Madrid document was submitted. This document was described in the statements by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and then by the presidents. The plan secured the idea that the occupation of the territories can not be continued further and therefore the forces should be withdrawn from the occupied territories around the Nagorno Karabakh phase-by-phase, according to the determined schedule. Of course, the status of Nagorno Karabakh is always on agenda. This issue is important for the Armenian side. This is important for us too despite that we, like other countries except Armenia, recognize this territory as an integral part of Azerbaijan. We recognize that there is a serious problem with the grey zone, present Karabakh, which has no status. If the withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied territories within the fixed framework opens the opportunities from the confidence-building to the opening of communications, it needs to express the security issue as well. There is a principal solution that the international peacekeeping observers will be deployed in the places which will be determined not only from the political, but military viewpoint too. The people will begin to return and the economy will be developed. Measures for building the confidence between the people will be taken, which creates opportunity to pull out the relations of the todayâ€™s rhetoricâ€.
Elmar Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan seriously keeps watch on the processes in the Middle East and North Africa. â€œWe understand that replacing the ousted president with the power of army in Egypt is treated differently than triumph of democracy. On the other hand, if there are mass public actions, it should be carefully analyzed. It is early to express resolute opinion on Libya. There is UN, its Charter and Security Council, which has a mandate, recognized by all countries, to defend the international security. There are resolutions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which have been a legal basis for the settlement since 1993, but are not fulfilled. But the resolution on Libya is fulfilled instantlyâ€.
The minister also made comments on the Turkeyâ€™s role in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict: â€œSurely, this is Turkey, which should make decision on the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. We can not interfere in the domestic issues of this country. On the other hand, if this process is developed in previous format, without consideration of the interests of Azerbaijan, we will have to react to it. Turkish leadership understands that. The occupation of first region around Nagorno Karabakh â€“ Kalbajar led Turkey to close its borders with Armenia. It was reaction of the Turkish authorities to the occupation of Kalbajar. Is something changed? Is Kalbajar liberated? The region is still under the occupation. Therefore we want Turkey, as an influential country, to support the liberation of the territories and the process of settlement. The withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied territories will stimulate very serious positive processesâ€.
Elmar Mammadyarov said he is against the military solution of the Iranian nuclear problem: â€œWe are the neighbor of nuclear countries and we understand that non-proliferation of the nuclear weapons is important. But we strongly protest the military solution of this problem. The number of Azerbaijani population of Iran is greater than independent Azerbaijan and therefore we are against the military solutionâ€.