DEPUTY MINISTER URGES ARMENIA TO LIBERATE "OCCUPIED" AZERI LANDS
Azeri press agency
June 9 2008
Baku, 9 June: "The St Petersburg meeting [between the presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia] was very important for the Azerbaijani
president to find out the position of the opposite side and shed light
on remaining dark points," Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov has told reports.
He said that the meeting was important from the political point of
view: "As we have always said, Azerbaijan will continue efforts for
the resolution of the problem until the end."
Araz Azimov advised the opposite side against thinking of wasting
time to protract the current state of the affairs in order to
satisfy own political interests: "We shall not give them a moment’s
peace. Information will be distributed at all levels about Armenia’s
activities against Azerbaijan and we shall work to this end until
our occupied lands are liberated. Azerbaijan’s opportunities in
this direction are not limited and the president’s position is
resolute. However, Armenia’s opportunities are limited and not a
single state supports its position."
The deputy minister said that Armenia would not be able to change the
map of the South Caucasus: "There are three countries in the region –
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. We would like normal neighbourhood
relations between the three states be restored. But there is a problem
that hinders this to happen – the occupation of Azerbaijani territories
by Armenia. The new Armenian leadership should study the situation
and take a correct decision for the elimination of the problem."
Asked about from which point the negotiations will continue, the
diplomat said that Azerbaijan always begins the negotiations from
the same point and is ready to continue likewise: "This point is that
Azerbaijan’s occupied territories must be returned and the conflict
must be resolved on the basis of the principal of territorial
integrity." Araz Azimov also stressed Azerbaijan’s readiness for
compromises.