Mammadyarov: "Determination of Kosovo Status Should not Be Precedent for Karabakh"

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Nagorno Karabakh status can be determined exclusively within the legal, peaceful and democratic process, which cannot base on ethnic cleansing," Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov stated addressing the Council of Europe Committee of Foreign Ministers in Ljubljana. Mr. Mammadyarov stated "the status of Nagorno Karabakh can be determined only provided that there is a proper and equal consideration of the points of view of the Armenian and Azeri communities living in Nagorno Karabakh side by side."



"Liberation of occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the main precondition for this to become possible. After the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories all transport corridors should be open to both parties to conflict. For efficient peace Armenians and Azeris will jointly use the Lachin corridor in both directions. The Azeri Government is ready to assist the communities of the Nagorno Karabakh region to restore regional infrastructure by attraction of investments," Mammadyarov said.



He remarked "the process of determination of the status of Kosovo irrespective of the outcome should not form any precedent." "Next year is expected to be a decisive one in the settlement of the conflict in Kosovo. The firm and unambiguous stand of Azerbaijan lies in that the process should take place in full compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and should be based on the Helsinki Final Act. Irrespective of the outcome, it should not form any precedents," Mammadyarov said, reported Mediamax.



It should be noted that addressing the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers yesterday's session Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated that international developments and self-determination processes in different parts of the world have led to fundamental changes in international thinking on this issue. "We have witnessed East Timor's independence through a referendum and the signing of an agreement in Sudan concluding a decades-old conflict on the basis of a referendum to be held in one part of the country. Today there are serious deliberations about Kosovo's future status. Among political, legal and academic experts, there is a growing awareness of the possibility and reality of recognizing the right of self-determination in certain circumstances. Those circumstances nearly exactly describe NK today," the Armenian FM emphasized.