Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani presidential administration official Novruz Mammadov has said the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh should be raised at the United Nations during Azerbaijan’s membership in the UN Security Council.

In October Azerbaijan was elected a non-permanent member of the UN SC for 2012-2013. 155 countries voted for the country.

"The issue concerning the situation in the Azerbaijani territories under Armenian occupation has been included in the UN General Assembly’s agenda, and…we will make every effort to arrange its discussion," Mammadov, the Presidential Administration’s head of foreign relations, said in an interview with the ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party’s website.

But he said discussing the issue in December 2011 was "perhaps, not that appropriate".

"I think it would be better if we wait a little. I believe that it would be more appropriate if we raise the issue in the organization when Azerbaijan begins its activity in the UN SC."

Commenting on the outcome of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting held in Vilnius earlier this week, Mammadov told Trend news agency that Azerbaijan calls on the mediating OSCE Minsk Group’s member states to abandon double standards in resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

He said it is disappointing that some Western countries, OSCE member states, international organizations and co-chair countries, analyzing the developments of the 21st century, and given that this conflict is a major threat to European security, "approach it within the norms of international law created by themselves".

"I think they should give up their suggestion ‘agree by yourselves, so that we could support you’," Mammadov said.

He said they should realize that making such proposals, supporting Armenia in various ways, holding confidential negotiations with it, bringing together ministers and their signing protocols, etc. does not help to achieve the common goal, which is resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

"Unfortunately, today, double standards are evident in many global processes, including in the Karabakh conflict," Mammadov said.

The Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 due to Armenia’s territorial claims. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s, 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including the Nagorno Karabakh region, has been under Armenian occupation. The Minsk Group-brokered peace talks have been largely fruitless so far.

Mammadov said further that the OSCE ministerial was "to say its piece" on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

"In the document adopted by the organization in Vilnus, the co-chairs encouraged the conflict parties to be more active. And this is natural, since the OSCE has a reason for such a call. In the process of negotiations Azerbaijan has taken all the positive steps in peace talks over the past seven years, whereas it previously hardly agreed to them. After Azerbaijan accepted [a peace outline dubbed] the Madrid principles and agreed to conduct confidence-building measures under certain conditions, the Armenian side is turning all this down," Mammadov said.

At the same time, the Vilnius statement should not be the only step, he added.

"The OSCE member states, the co-chair countries realize that no matter how many steps are taken, how many statements are issued and proposals made, Armenia, as you can see, does not give up its evil plans, attempting to delay the negotiation process, and avails of every opportunity to do so," Mammadov said.

The joint statement by the OSCE Minsk Group's three co-chair countries - the United States, Russia and France - and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict parties issued in Vilnius calls for more efforts to resolve the conflict within the Minsk Group.

With regard to prospects of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents' meeting, Mammadov said it is necessary for the negotiating process in any case.

"It will be more difficult to resolve the conflict without it. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan's will in the negotiation process is focused on the peaceful settlement of the conflict, we don’t have that much patience. The country should take its territories back by all means. Now, a crucial and important task related to this rests with the co-chairs.

"On one hand, the unresolved conflict imposes great responsibility on Armenia. The Armenian leadership in the eyes of the world confirms who and what they are. On the other hand, following this path, they are leading themselves to the edge of an abyss. They have only one goal - to extend their stay in power," Mammadov said.

Mammadov believes that it is necessary to continue holding peace talks. However, he expressed concerns that Armenia will attempt to delay the peace process.

"The co-chair countries are experiencing certain processes – the financial crisis and presidential elections, and all these factors may influence the negotiations. Azerbaijan is ready to continue the negotiation process in all cases," Mammadov said.

"With the hope for the efficiency of the co-chairs' activity, it is necessary to take certain steps to organize such a meeting [between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents]. From a hypothetical point of view, such a meeting within an informal CIS summit in Moscow is possible, since the two presidents will attend it," Mammadov added.

With regard to possible involvement of new organizations in the negotiation process, Mammadov said Azerbaijan has not always been content with the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group, but at the same time, one should admit that the co-chairs are also trying to address the problem.

"In fact, the Minsk Group represents diplomats from the three countries and they do not have such high mandates and resources. I believe that the OSCE and these countries' leaders should grant them these mandates. On the other hand, it is necessary to slightly change the attitude, as the conflict is a problem for European security."