Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
June 14 2005
STATEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE AZERBAIJAN
REPUBLIC
[June 14, 2005, 22:41:50]
According to Armenian media reports, the separatist regime of Nagorny
Karabakh is planning to hold June 19 the so-called ‘parliamentary
elections’ in the occupied territories.
Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly gave a legal assessment to such
provocative actions, is stating once again that any attempt to impose
a policy of fait accompli has no prospects.
Holding ‘elections’ in the occupied and ethnically purged territories
contradicts the norms and principles of the international law and the
Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and is of no legal effect.
Such actions by the Armenian side do not meet the spirit of the
process of negotiations, which have recently given some hopes for
positive trends.
Sustainable peace cannot be reached without ensuring normal living
conditions and peaceful coexistence of Azerbaijani and Armenian
communities of the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Azerbaijan Republic.
In this context, Azerbaijan supports the appeals of the international
community for establishment of direct contacts between the communities,
and implementation of complex measures of trust and confidence with
the aim to overcome the hostility, and achieve stability and mutual
understanding.
Intercommunity dialogue of this kind will help normalize relations
between Armenians of Nagorny Karabakh and Azerbaijani population of
the region returning to the places of their permanent residence, as
well as create necessary prerequisites for involvement of all strata
of local population in legal, peaceful and democratic process, which,
in addition, includes forming of legitimate regional authorities at
all levels.