Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has said international mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh have "given way to certain mistakes" in peace talks.
"However, these mistakes can be rectified," he told Radio Liberty. Azimov said negotiations under way within the Prague process - phased conflict resolution - proceeded successfully from 2004 to November 2006. However, in December that year, Armenia began altering its position and taking a non-constructive stance during high-level meetings, after which the co-chairs omitted a mistake.
"There is no alternative to the issue of territorial integrity in the conflict settlement," the deputy minister said.
Azimov said the UN resolution on the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan passed in mid-March was an attempt to return talks to the Prague process framework.
"Every state, and Azerbaijan in particular, is in need of this - it aspires to assert its position of principle within the UN, i.e. before the world community, and this is normal. No one can blame us for this or negate our right to do so."
Azimov emphasized that US co-chair Matthew Bryza has repeatedly said he recognized and comprehended Azerbaijan's right to put forward its own initiatives.
The UN resolution urged a full and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries United States, Russia and France voted against the paper.
Azimov noted that representatives of the co-chairing countries had spread a rumor that Baku was trying to transfer the peace process from the OSCE to the UN framework and to abolish the Minsk Group. "This is not true," he said.
Azimov said no tangible results were achieved at the latest meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers held in Strasbourg. It was ascertained that the Armenian minister was avoiding discussions on a certain issue, without relevant instructions from the head of state.
"It will be possible to say anything specific about the continuation of talks after the presidents' meeting. Having set aside all political speculations, the Azerbaijani side is asking Armenia a concrete question of whether or not it is ready for the conflict resolution, as this is possible on the one and only basis - within Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. This is a matter of 'yes' or 'no'."
He added that if Armenia recognizes Azerbaijan's integrity, it will be possible to solve all outstanding issues. "We are ready for concessions in keeping with this principle."

Calls to 'restore
confidence'
The French co-chair of the Minsk Group Bernard Fassier has said the mediators call on the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents "to restore confidence in peace talks".
Fassier reminded that the two leaders are due to meet in St. Petersburg, Russia June 7. "The co-chairs will discuss a new stage of talks with the heads of state," he told Radio Liberty.
Fassier said that if confidence is restored between the two presidents, this would serve as an indicator of progress made in the peace process.
The mediators believe that this confidence has been disrupted in the past few months. The conflicting sides were extremely worried about ceasefire violations on the frontline that intensified after Armenia's recent presidential elections.
"We thought this was the end of talks. But immediately after that our contacts with the presidents and meetings between ministers showed that there is an opportunity to start a new stage [in negotiations]."
Fassier went on to say that the co-chairs supported further peace talks based on the Madrid proposals made half a year ago. He said the proposals fully reflected Azerbaijan's interests and envisioned a stage-by-stage peace plan. In the initial stage, Armenian forces are to withdraw from five districts around Garabagh, followed by the liberation of the other two districts and determination of Upper Garabagh's status in the future.
The co-chairs are scheduled to meet in Moscow June 4-5. The intermediaries will further meet with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin, after which they will set the stage for a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.