Yesterday Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, special representative of the Azeri President over the Karabakh issue Araz Azimov held a press conference dedicated to the course of the talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, reported the 525 Baku newspaper. Azimov told about the meeting of the Azeri and Armenian Presidents I. Aliyev and R. Kocharian in Warsaw, calling it productive and significant from the point of view of holding useful discussions. The Azeri Deputy FM reminded that after the Warsaw talks the OSCE MG CO-Chairs arrived in Azerbaijan and held meetings with Azeri FM Elmar Mamedyarov and President Ilham Aliyev. THe Co-Chairs comprehensively informed the Azeri President on the further plans. In Azimov’s words, a meeting of Azeri and Armenian FMs is scheduled in mid-June. It should be noted that OSCE MG Ambassadors lately prefer meeting FMs of each country privately, considering such meetings more expedient. In the opinion of the Foreign Ministry representative, Azerbaijan posture over the Karabakh issue at the international arena is being specified in more detail. THe most important thing is that the number of those, who support Azerbaijan’ stand increases, he stated. Azerbaijan has a specific concept on the peace talks, its principles and details are known. In Azimov’s words, «release of the occupied Azeri territories, return of forced migrants to their houses, the status of Nagorno Karabakh, security guarantees to representatives of both communities of the region, restoration of the communication system and other questions» are subject to negotiations. The Azeri Deputy FM said that Azerbaijan has chosen the way of integration and successfully proceeds along that way. He noted that Armenia remaining «overboard» the integration process is not Azerbaijan’s guilt. In Mr. Azimov’s opinion, «after the liberation of the occupied territories and the solution of these problems, normal relations will to all appearance be established between Armenia and Azerbaijan.» It follows from his words that one of the important factors of the problem refers to the guarantees of future agreements. Azerbaijan views this issue in three aspects: the matter may concern the legal, political and practical guarantees. The UN passing a resolution and placing peacekeeping forces in the territory in question is possible to be accepted as guarantee. Mr. Azimov stated that Azerbaijan «insists upon liberation of the occupied territories up to the last inch and the matter cannot concern not liberating any region.» However, it is not a matter of a day. In Azimov’s words, the peace accord is not ready yet, however a new impetus is conveyed to the process, thus there is hope that the talks in June-July will have specific outcomes. In his words, the dragging of the settlement process does not meet interests of any of the parties. In his words, Armenia understands it, too. Answering a question on Russia’s intention to place part of the military bases being withdrawn from Georgia to Armenia, Azimov stated that there is no response to the note Azerbaijan has sent to Russia thereupon, however Baku follows the developments with attention. In A. Azimov’s words, passing arms to Armenia will make Azerbaijan worry until the country has a conflict with Azerbaijan. He said that «the occupied Azeri territories are uncontrolled and there is a danger thereupon that certain arms are concealed there.» In his words, Azerbaijan hopes for attention to be paid to the issue by Russia.
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