Armenia will have to change its position: Deputy FM
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister said no progress is seen in the settlement process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Currently, there are neither positive nor negative dynamics in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Araz Azimov told journalists on February 24.
"Firstly, I believe that we should talk about whether or not the opposite party is really ready to solve the issues. Secondly, Azerbaijan will not change its principled position and remains committed to it. The Azerbaijani President has stated his position before and after the Vienna meeting," Azimov said.
Last time the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents met in Vienna on November 19, along with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, to assess the ways of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
Azimov pointed out that there is no information about a next meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents at the moment.
He said the negotiation process consisting of separate meetings has not brought any results so far.
Azimov said Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that, guided by international legal norms and principles, it wants its rights to be respected in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
He stressed that all the conditions for solving the conflict are created and Armenia, which is in a desperate situation, will have to change its position.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s.
The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.
Azerbaijan stands for peaceful resolution of Syrian conflict
Speaking about the Syrian conflict, Azimov said Azerbaijan has expressed its interest and support for the peaceful settlement of the situation in Syria as a member of the UN Security Council.
He said the participation of individuals of Azerbaijani origin in the Syrian war cannot cast a shadow on Azerbaijani-Syrian relations.
"Even if they are Azerbaijani citizens, their activities in that country's territory are illegal. Personal considerations and financial interests may be the reason for their activities. Such people, as is known, become mercenaries. But, of course, this situation cannot be regarded as a large-scale process, although all this is sad," Azimov said.
The role of both religious and public education is very important in preventing this, he added.
Recently, several Azerbaijanis have been killed while participating in the armed conflict in Syria.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said earlier that Azerbaijan country is investigating into the participation of Azerbaijani citizens in military operations in Syria.
During the conflict in Syria which began in March 2011, over 140,000 people have been killed and over 4.2 million have become refugees in Syrian territory as well as 2.3 million having fled to neighboring countries. The main burden of receiving refugees lay on Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The total population of Syria before the conflict amounted to 20 million.
Ukraine's future influences development in both East and West
Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Azimov said Ukraine is a friendly country and Azerbaijan's strategic partner.
He said Azerbaijan's and Ukraine's territorial integrity and stability are equally important for Azerbaijan.
Saying that Ukraine is a state located between the West and the East and has a great economic potential, Azimov added that the future of this country may influence the development of both the West and the East.
Mass protests in Ukraine began on November 21, 2013, when the government announced the suspension of the preparation of the Association Agreement with the EU.
The riots in Kiev resumed on February 18 after the opposition parties in the parliament called for the restoration of the Constitution of 2004. Anti-government protesters broke into the buildings in the center of Kiev, burned tires, and threw stones at cars and police officers.
Ukraine's parliament voted in favor of handing presidential powers over to a parliamentary speaker on February 23.
Alexander Turchinov, one of the leaders of the Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party, was appointed a new parliamentary speaker.