ONLY DEMOCRATIC AZERBAIJAN CAN BECOME THAT NEIGHBOR WITH WHOM NKR CAN SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE
armradio.am
28.06.2008 12:10
Asked to comment on the thesis mentioned in PACE Resolution 1614
that sustainable democratic development will be extremely difficult
in Azerbaijan as long as the country’s territorial integrity has
not been restored, NKR Foreign Minisetr Georgy Petrosyan mentioned:
"One can achieve sustainable democratic development only when the
country itself determines its course, taking into account its own
system of values and does not seek for pretexts to be justified in
front of the international structures for non-fulfillment of its
international and legal commitments."
"Without going into details on the alleged violation of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity I would like to note that in contemporary
international practice we can observe cases when the country being at
war with another state or having numerous conflicts with its neighbors,
can at the same time pretend to be one of the best democratic states
like Israel, India, etc.
I wonder whether the presence of political prisoners in the country
is a result of violation of territorial integrity. Is the mass media
suppressed, are the journalists beat up for the same reason? To all
appearance, these questions are rhetorical," the Foreign Minister
stated.
According to Georgy Petrosyan, on the whole, Europe’s position on
keeping balanced attitude towards the South Caucasus countries is
understandable. "At the same time, it arouses bewilderment that
maintenance of this approach as presented by Azerbaijan passes
along the line of cornerstone priorities of the Council of Europe
on which all the European architecture – democracy, supremacy of law
are founded.
While the democracy in the NKR is a natural non-opportunistic choice
for the people of Nagorno Karabakh, which is not appreciated properly
by Europe, in Azerbaijan we observe its convulsive imitation. Within
this context, we would like to advise the Council of Europe to take
the democracy in Azerbaijan and the democratic processes taking place
as a whole in the region most seriously and with all responsibility. We
are convinced that only democratic Azerbaijan can become that neighbor
with whom the Nagorno Karabakh Republic can speak the same language."