Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 28 2007
Socio-Political Figures of Azerbaijan Discuss Karabakh Problem
Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr S. Ilhamgizi / Azerbaijani opposition
leaders, politicians, and intellectuals has participated in the event
held at the `Let Us Unite Around Karabakh’ office of the
Socio-Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (SDPA). The viewpoints in this
connection were voiced at the gathering.
The co-chairman of the SDPA, Araz Alizadeh, said that he was agree
with all the proposals of the Azerbaijani President’s latest
statement on the negotiations with Armenia, except two of them,
holding a referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh, and introduction of
peacekeeping forces into the region. `The world practice displays
that peacekeeping forces always act in the interest of either their
country or big powers,’ he said.
The chairman of the Adalat Party, MP Ilyas Ismayilov, said that the
belief into help of international organizations in the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was lost. The four UN resolutions have
not been implemented yet. The OSCE Minsk Group’s
co-chairmen-countries stick to their own interests in the region and
fail to come to agreement.
Quoting the statement by the President on possible liberation of the
occupied territories by war, the leader of the Azerbaijani national
Independence Party (ANIP), Etibar Mammadov, said that the necessity
in the occasion had occurred long ago.
The chairman of the Musavat Party, Isa Gambar, noted that the
analogue Karabakh-related event was held in 1997, but the decisions
made at the meeting were not fulfilled.
The leader of the `In the Name of Azerbaijan’ Forum, Eldar Namazov,
mentioned the fruitlessness of the Karabakh Charter established in
2001.
The chairman of the Classic Popular Front Party, Mirmahmoud
Miralioughlu, stated that Armenians were benefiting from the
ceasefire between the conflict sides. ` Azerbaijan has not formed an
army strong enough in this period. We did not inform the world’s
community of the real situation with Nagorno-Karabakh on the
necessary level,’ Miralioghlu added.
The chairman of the Citizen and Development Party, Ali Aliyev, said
that he considered free, democratic elections to be an important
aspect in the settlement of the conflict.
Politician Rasim Musabeyov said that there were definite achievements
in the solution of Nagorno-Karabakh problem. According to the
politician, in 2008 Russian troops will be withdrawn from South
Caucasus. Later, Georgia will integrate into NATO and Azerbaijan
should take benefit from it.
Politician Mubariz Ahmadoghlu indicated the important steps towards
solution of the Karabakh problem and called the present `a golden
stage’. According to Ahmadoughlu, it will be possible to achieve more
success within May, 2007-March, 2008.
MP Panah Huseyn said that discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh should be
held in the parliament with participation of opposition parties, as
well as representatives of community.
Despite the invitation the representatives of the governing New
Azerbaijan Party were not in attendance.
As a result of the meeting, the decision to go on with the
discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh was made.
The conflict between two South Caucasus countries broke out in 1988
in face of Armenia’s territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Since 1992,
20% of Azerbaijani territories (Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 nearby
regions) have been under occupation by Armenian Armed Forces. In May,
1994 a ceasefire was signed between the sides. The talks under the
auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia, France, and
the United States are still fruitless.