Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 26 2008

Araz Azimov: `Meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign
ministers in Strasbourg will be an acquaintance’

[ 26 Apr 2008 15:03 ]

Baku. Tamara Grigorieva `APA. `It is early to speak about the
expectations from the meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign
ministers in Strasbourg. Azerbaijan is ready for the negotiations in
any case’, said Araz Azimov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan on
Saturday, APA reports.

He said Armenia should recognize the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan and be withdrawn from the occupied territories and all
population should take part in the self-determination of Nagorno
Karabakh within the borders of Azerbaijan. Only under these
circumstances Azerbaijan will be willing to restore normal relations
with Armenia. The Deputy Minister noted that Azerbaijan made steps
toward the security of its territorial integrity and didn’t claim the
territories of other countries. In his opinion the factor of force is
different from the use of force. `Azerbaijan is developing in all
fields and this development is a factor of force itself. Political,
economic and defense potential of the country is increased, which is
the factor of force having impact on the discussions. However there
are factors of use and non-use of force in the international
law. There are appropriate frameworks there. It is true that use of
force is not accepted positively.

The countries undertake obligations not to use the force and on the
other hand the UN Charter gives to every country a right of
self-defense’.

Araz Azimov called the burning of Turkish and Azerbaijani flags on the
day of so-called `Armenian genocide’ as an act of vandalism. `No one
can witness the burning of Armenian flag in Azerbaijan. Do you see
such actions here? It shows once more that Azerbaijan is a tolerant
country’.