Azeri gov’t: 2009 is a year of intensive talks on Garabagh
The Azerbaijani government has described 2009 as a year of
intensive negotiations to settle the country’s long-standing Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict with Armenia.
The fact that the two countries’ presidents held six meetings mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as several meetings of foreign ministers, held in a year’s time, proves this, the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said in a report on the outcomes of 2009.
Further, the ministry noted the international community's immense interest in settling the conflict in 2009.
"The international community realizes the inadmissibility of maintaining the status quo in the conflict and the importance of a speedy conflict settlement. This being said, the G8 summit in the Italian L'Aquila city on July 10, 2009 adopted a joint statement by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs over the Garabagh conflict. Also, the foreign ministers of Russia and France as well as the US assistant secretary of state adopted a joint statement on the Garabagh conflict settlement Dec.1, along with the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, in conclusion of the Athens meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers. All these are evident to immense attention to resolving the conflict, the report says.
The statement reiterated Azerbaijan's intransigent position.
"The conflict must be resolved strictly within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. This stance is based on the norms and principles of international law and the UN charter, the Helsinki Final Act and numerous international documents passed within the framework of the conflict settlement. Negotiations on settling the conflict are directed at agreeing upon details stemming from these very principles," the statement said.
The Garabagh conflict emerged in the late 1980s on Armenian territorial claims. Since the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Upper Garabagh region and its seven surrounding districts, despite four standing UN resolutions on unconditional pullout of Armenian troops and condemnation by a number of other international organizations.*
The fact that the two countries’ presidents held six meetings mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as several meetings of foreign ministers, held in a year’s time, proves this, the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said in a report on the outcomes of 2009.
Further, the ministry noted the international community's immense interest in settling the conflict in 2009.
"The international community realizes the inadmissibility of maintaining the status quo in the conflict and the importance of a speedy conflict settlement. This being said, the G8 summit in the Italian L'Aquila city on July 10, 2009 adopted a joint statement by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs over the Garabagh conflict. Also, the foreign ministers of Russia and France as well as the US assistant secretary of state adopted a joint statement on the Garabagh conflict settlement Dec.1, along with the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, in conclusion of the Athens meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers. All these are evident to immense attention to resolving the conflict, the report says.
The statement reiterated Azerbaijan's intransigent position.
"The conflict must be resolved strictly within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. This stance is based on the norms and principles of international law and the UN charter, the Helsinki Final Act and numerous international documents passed within the framework of the conflict settlement. Negotiations on settling the conflict are directed at agreeing upon details stemming from these very principles," the statement said.
The Garabagh conflict emerged in the late 1980s on Armenian territorial claims. Since the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Upper Garabagh region and its seven surrounding districts, despite four standing UN resolutions on unconditional pullout of Armenian troops and condemnation by a number of other international organizations.*
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