Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Friday that Armenia’s recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh republic "would be a big mistake in terms of international law".

Mammadyarov was responding to Armenian officials’ recent statements that Yerevan could move to recognize the self-proclaimed republic if peace talks fail.

The conflict between the two former Soviet republics began in 1988 due to Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The two countries fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, is still under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces.

Though the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh declared so-called independence at the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991, this "independence" has not been recognized by the world community.

Mammadyarov said that if Armenia recognizes the region’s so-called independence, this would be considered outright aggression.

"Azerbaijan’s independence has been recognized within the borders of the former Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, and the United Nations has accepted these frames. Nagorno Karabakh was part of the Azerbaijan SSR. This has been recognized by all UN member states. If Armenia recognizes the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, the UN Security Council will have to unequivocally state its position on the matter."

Touching on the ongoing peace talks, Mammadyarov said the negotiating process is currently more sluggish than it was last year.

Talks between Baku and Yerevan are underway on the basis of the Madrid principles, a peace outline proposed by international mediators. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs initially proposed the document in the Spanish capital in November 2007. In Athens in November 2009, the updated version of the Madrid Document was submitted to the sides.

Mammadyarov reminded that though Baku has accepted the renewed Madrid Document with some exceptions, Yerevan has yet to state a clear-cut stance on the peace outline.

"The Armenians should make their stance more specific. Only after that could a positive result be achieved."

The Madrid Document covers "the return of the territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijani control" and a future determination of the legal status of Nagorno Karabakh "through a legally binding expression of will" and the right of "internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their former places of residence."

Mammadyarov noted that Armenia’s stance dwells upon the self-determination of nations, adding that Azerbaijan also accepts it but this cannot contradict another key principle - the territorial integrity of countries. He reiterated that as a compromise, Azerbaijan is ready to grant Nagorno Karabakh the status of a high-level autonomy.

The minister said Baku has no intention to withdraw from the peace process and will continue holding negotiations, which currently lack intensity. "We don’t want this conflict to turn into a ‘frozen’, a forgotten one, on the contrary, we are trying to resolve it in the soonest time possible."

Mammadyarov said signing any "road map" at the OSCE summit due December 1-2 in Astana was not on the agenda.

"We would like for some progress to be reached in Astana. But we have not begun working on any document yet."

According to the minister, presently under discussion is the format of talks on Karabakh settlement to be held in Astana.

Mammadyarov said that a proposal had been made to hold the next meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders by the end of October. "But there is no accurate information about that yet. This issue will be clarified in the coming days."

Mammadyarov added that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs brokering the peace process are due to visit the region shortly and report on their conclusions made during a recent visit to the Armenia-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh.

The co-chairs’ Field Assessment Mission took place October 7-13. The mission provided an important opportunity for the co-chairs to meet with numerous people on the ground and familiarize themselves with the current situation in the territories, in all aspects, including humanitarian needs. The mission scrutinized the illegal settlements in Nagorno Karabakh and other Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

On the mediators' invitation, three experts, including two from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), assisted them in their tasks.