Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Novruz Mammadov, the head of the Foreign Relations Department, stated on 26 April that Azerbaijan wants total liberation from Armenian occupation, of both Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding districts.
The comments were made in reply to a statement by the US Ambassador Matthew Bryza, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, who said that major principles of talks envisages the withdrawal and return to Azerbaijan of troops from 5 occupied districts attached to Nagorno-Karabakh, placement of peacekeeping forces and the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced people.
Mammadov said that the Azerbaijan President has, on numerous occasions, stated Azerbaijan's position in this respect which remains unchanged. Despite different statements by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Azerbaijan retains its position on the liberation of its occupied territory, he stated.