Araz Azimov: "Mr. Nalbandyan is in a difficult state as he attempts to defend false facts"

In an answer to Day.Az correspondent's request to express attitude towards the comments of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, regarding Azerbaijan's principal position on the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov said:

"I consider such disputes senseless, as it is evident that the newly appointed Foreign Minister of Armenia needs additional time to get acquainted with all issues of the resolution process. The immediate reaction of the Armenian side and the very comment of the Minister says that Mr. Nalbandyan is in a difficult state when he attempts to defend false facts.

Speaking about plebiscite, as about a coordinated mechanism of definition of the status of Nagorno Karabakh, Mr. Nalbandyan says a lie. I hope he does not do it by his own will. Any unilateral proposal, which has not been coordinated, can not be considered a coordinated element of resolution.

I do hope that the Minister of Armenia, speaking about the population of Nagorno Karabakh, implies both communities of this region, including Armenian and Azerbaijani. Otherwise, his statement can be regarded as a support to ethnic cleansing, committed against the Azerbaijanis of Nagorno Karabakh. By the way, his forerunner Mr. Vardan Oskanyan, repeatedly confirmed Armenia's agreement for return of Azerbaijanis to Nagorno Karabakh on the official level.

It should be added that for free expression of its opinion, the Minister speaks about, the population of the region, including both Armenians and Azerbaijanis primarily need peace, stability, security and possible creative labor and cooperation in legal conditions. It is hard to imagine normalization of the situation in the region in conditions of continuing occupation and preservation of the consequences of ethnic cleansing.

I would like to hope that Armenian side will be courageous enough and have political will to admit it. Anyway, if Mr. Nalbandyan implies conduction of the next manipulation, called a referendum or a plebiscite, like the one, which Armenian side has already conducted in conditions of military state after driving the Azerbaijani population away, he is obviously contradicting the norms of international humanitarian law.

In order to define compliance of the principal position of Azerbaijani side, I have expressed in my interview to Day.Az with the document, which is on the negotiation table, I would recommend him, with the due respect for his status, to address to the principal postulates of the Helsinki Final Act, which is among the main documents of the resolution process, taken into consideration by the Minsk Group co-chairs in their draft main principles of resolution. After that, it would be easier for the Armenian side to realize the fact that as Azerbaijan does not agree to anything else, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be settled in the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Armenian side also should not have any misunderstandings regarding the application of principle of right for self-determination.

And gradually, it is a pity that before initiating the subject talks, Mr. Nalbandyan had already demonstrated detachment from generally accepted norms and concepts, which has become Armenian's habit.

The obvious intention of the Armenian side to prevent return of Azerbaijanis to Nagorno Karabakh and accelerate the further isolation of the region from the remaining part of Azerbaijan, would not be accepted not only by Azerbaijan but the whole world society. Armenia's position, based on territorial expansion and ethnic animosity, does not comply with either the generally accepted principles, or modern tendencies and trends of regional integration and development", said Araz Azimov.

/Day.Az/