Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 30
By Seba Aghayeva – Trend:
The Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is still absurdly playing with words, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend, commenting on the anti-Azerbaijani statements of the Armenian FM.
The Armenian FM, who by his previous statements put himself in an awkward position, now resorts to deceit and various excuses to get out of the situation, according to Hajiyev.
“Principles of the [Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict settlement, voiced by the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Richard Hoagland, are also supported by the other co-chair countries, and envisage a phased resolution of the conflict. According to the essence and logic of these principles, based on the Helsinki Final Act, as a first step, the Armenian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied territories around Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, and IDPs must be returned to these territories. These principles were also reaffirmed in the L'Aquila, Muskoka and Los Cabos statements by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries,” Hajiyev said.
Most importantly, the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories was also confirmed in the UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884, he noted.
“The OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, directly participated in the adoption of these resolutions.”
“We would like to remind the Armenian foreign minister that the main point of substantive negotiations is the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories in accordance with these principles and a specific timeline. Instead of making accusations and excuses, Armenian side should join substantive negotiations with the Azerbaijani side and co-chairs in order to change the status quo on the basis of the existing proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group, withdraw its troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and open up ways for living together in peace and prosperity in the region. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated its readiness for the serious talks on the soonest resolution of the conflict and changing the status quo,” he added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 the Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by the peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.