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Azerbaijani Permanent Representative to OSCE addresses Permanent Council

04 November 2011 07:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Bernard Fassier (France), Robert Bradtke (USA) and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk made annual report to the OSCE Permanent Council. Azerbaijani Permanent Representative to OSCE Galib Israfilov informed the Permanent Council about the position of Azerbaijan Republic concerning the conflict.

Israfilov said restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is significant not only for Azerbaijan, but for European security as well. â€œDynamically developing its economy, becoming reliable partner to Europe and playing important role in ensuring energy security of Europe, Azerbaijan turned from the security consumer into security producer. From this point of view, restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be particularly important issue for the OSCE participating countriesâ€.

Touching upon the development of negotiations, the Permanent Representative noted that Armenia is interested in current status quo and doesnâ€™t intend to change this status quo under any condition: â€œDestruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage and monuments, settlement of these territories by Armenia, plundering of natural resources are the signals about the intention of Armeniaâ€.

Ambassador said confidence-building measures shouldnâ€™t serve to the strengthening of status quo, vice versa, it should contribute to the reintegration of the occupied territories, including Nagorno Karabakh, into the legal and political system of Azerbaijan. He proposed to organize a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno Karabakh and called on the OSCE members and co-chairs to support this humanitarian confidence-building measure. He also underlined the importance of withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as a confidence-building measure in the military field.

OSCE members welcomed Azerbaijanâ€™s constructive approach.