KARABAKH’S ARMENIAN POPULATION WILL ENJOY BENEFITS OF AZERI CITIZENSHIP

news.az
Nov 10 2009
Azerbaijan

Elkhan Polukhov The Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh will in
the fullness of time receive all the benefits enjoyed by Azerbaijani
citizens, the spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, Elkhan
Polukhov, has said.

"Azerbaijan’s position in the negotiation process has always been
absolutely clear – Nagorno-Karabakh can get the highest status
of autonomy within the framework of the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. The negotiations process between the parties can consider
details of the level and specifics of the autonomy granted," Polukhov
said in an exclusive interview with Novosti-Azerbaijan news agency.

He said that unlike Armenia, which has become a mono-ethnic state
after driving out the Azerbaijanis and Kurds, Azerbaijan has never had
problems in ensuring the rights of national and religious minorities.

"Azerbaijani citizens, who have every opportunity to preserve and
develop their national and religious identity, do not think about
separatism as the country creates equal conditions for everyone,"
Polukhov said.

He said that more than 30,000 ethnic Armenians live in Azerbaijan
beyond the occupied lands and they are fully fledged citizens of
the country.

"The issue of separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh is not an idea of
the Armenian people," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said. "This
is a product developed by the political leadership of Armenia and
supported by representatives of the Armenian diaspora, which is far
removed from the daily problems and sufferings of its people both
in Armenia and the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, some
people have become hostages to the unpromising policy of the Armenian
authorities who pursue the interests of a small group of people that
do not think of the future of their own people."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress