OSCE MG, Armenia urged to take into account position of NAM
By Rashid Shirinov
The OSCE Minsk Group and Armenia must take into consideration the position of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This was said by Hikmat Hajiyev, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, to Trend on September 19.
The final document was adopted at the 17th NAM Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Isla de Margarita, Venezuela on September 13–18, 2016.
In the final document, the NAM member-states called for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions and within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, Hajiyev said.
After Azerbaijan joined the Movement, the position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is constantly being reflected in all documents which are being adopted at the level of heads of state and foreign ministers of the NAM member-states, the Spokesman noted.
“This is the single and firm position of international community to resolve the conflict. Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group must take into account this position, which expresses the will of the international community,” he added.
Hajiyev noted that one of the main points of the summit was NAM’s position on the principle of self-determination of nations, reflected in the final document of the summit. “In accordance with the UN Charter, the NAM member-states mainly consider the principle of self-determination of peoples in the context of decolonization and the fight against colonization.”
The principle of self-determination outside this context cannot be a tool to artificially breach the territorial integrity of states. It proves once again that the attempts of Armenia to conceal the occupation of Azerbaijani territories abusing this principle are entirely unfounded, the Spokesman said.
The member-states of the Movement, expressing strong protest against the attempts to violate the territorial integrity and national unity, reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.
Hajiyev noted that another important result of the summit is the decision to hold the next NAM summit in 2019 in Baku and the transfer of chairmanship in the organization for 2019-2022 to Azerbaijan.
The Spokesman said that Azerbaijan is committed to the spirit and principles of the Movement, and during its presidency will make efforts for the development of its fundamental goals and objectives.
Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.
---
Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz