Foreign

Home page

Foreign

Elmar Mammadyarov: It is important not only to continue the negotiations, but also the intensification of contacts â€“ INTERVIEW

Elmar Mammadyarov: It is important not only to continue the negotiations, but also the intensification of contacts â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW </font>

06 December 2011 21:13 (UTC +04:00)

Vilnius. Victoria Dementieva-APA. APAâ€™s interview with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov:

- Mr. Minister, how the changing of co-chair of the OSCE Minsk can effect dynamics of the negotiation process, and in generally can it effect?

- Itâ€™s hard to say how will impact on the dynamics. This is a traditional change, it is impossible to keep the same persons as negotiators. French co-chairman quits after nearly seven years as co-chair. Therefore, in this case, the question here is how they represent the country?. In any case, three countries - Russia, U.S., France are permanent members of UN Security Council, responsible for the maintenance of peace and security in the world, they are probably the most important countries, which should promote peace and security at the borders.

- Some experts say that the elections to be held in Azerbaijan and Armenia in the next 2 years may have a negative impact on the dynamics of negotiations to resolve the conflict. In your opinion, there is a chance?

- For the sake of objectivness we must recognize that elections usually draw their different approaches to, and not the brakes negotiations. In the world there is a practice that elections do not affect the fact that intensively promote the negotiation process. But this does not preclude another question. You know, there are now initiatives to strengthen confidence-building measures between the parties, the communication between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities, whether in Karabakh, whether in Armenia or Azerbaijan. Let visit, travel, socialize. Again, it is impossible to close the country, it is impossible to take and"close." Therefore, in this case, I think it is important not only to continue the negotiations, but also the intensification of contacts.

- Today in the OSCE Ministerial Council, Armenian Foreign Minister stated that Azerbaijan impedes the mechanism of the investigation of incidents of violation of the cease-fire on the frontline. How You can comment on it?

- How can Azerbaijan impede, if a statement today, the heads of delegations of the OSCE Minsk Group and the ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia say that we have agreed to make further efforts to work out the details of these mechanisms? Statement has already been accepted in Sochi at the presidential level that seeks to investigate the incidents. Another thing is, we first need to clarify that the mechanisms that such an incident. Because everything depends not only on the foreign ministers, with all due respect to my colleague here is very large military factor. Because itâ€™s not the line of contact, but a real "fontline", the front, where people shoot, always go to the shooting, dying people die, including the death of not only soldiers, but from our side and the civilian population. Therefore, other than a populist statement that can not name.

- In the near future is expected to sign an agreement to extend the lease the Gabala radar station? When it we be signed?

- In accordance with the contract, the time to renew the lease as long as there is, and talks are quite intensively. I do not know, on what result we will, in principle, but negotiations with the Russians conducting.