Karabakh conflict biggest obstacle to peace, Mammadov says

Azerbaijan has passed a successful and glorious path over 25 years of independence. Novruz Mammadov, Deputy Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, chief of the administration's foreign relations department made the remark at a conference on “Azerbaijan’s role on global and regional arena: Realities and Prospects”, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the country’s independence.

Mammadov also provided an insight into the difficulties and challenges the country has faced in the years of independence, noting that today Azerbaijan is carrying out “a balanced foreign and domestic policy which is based on national interests”.

Currently, Azerbaijan is moving on the path of turning the “black gold” into human capital, he said.

The top official emphasized the increasing investments in education and modern technologies, as well as the steps taken for diversification of economy.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan has launched its satellite into orbit. In 2013, Azerbaijan launched its first satellite Azerspace-1, while launching of Azerspace-2 is scheduled for 2017.

Further, the top official said that Azerbaijan pursues domestic and foreign policy based on national interests.

Azerbaijan presents its own development model to the world, said the top official, adding that international organizations also praise the country’s development.

He also spoke of Azerbaijan's election as a member of the UN Security Council, stressing that this is one of the landmark achievements of the country.

“Azerbaijan has also joined the Non-Aligned Movement which is the biggest organization after the UN. Having joined the international antiterror coalition, Azerbaijan is making its contribution to the establishment of peace in the world,” Mammadov said.

He also hailed Azerbaijan’s “enhancing” relations with European countries. “Azerbaijan attaches great importance to its relations with Latin American and African countries, and is developing these ties," he emphasized.

Although Azerbaijan is not a big country, it actively participates in the international anti-terrorism coalitions for ensuring peace and stability in the whole world, added Mammadov.

Mammadov drew attention to the Armenia-Azerbaijan NagornoKarabakh conflict, saying that the continuation of the conflict is the biggest obstacle to peace and development in the region.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

The legal basis for the conflict’s settlement is reflected in the decisions and resolutions adopted by the UN and other international organizations.

“Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is supported and recognized in all of these documents. But unfortunately, the international law has remained only as a document over the last ten years,” said Mammadov.

He stressed that the last statement by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about unreadiness of the leaders to resolve the NagornoKarabakh conflict, “surprises and upsets”.

Kerry sends a message to the world that allegedly, the leaders are not ready for the conflict’s settlement, according to the Mammadov. “Which logical option have the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs proposed [for the conflict’s settlement] that Azerbaijan hasn’t agreed to?”

Such a statement of the secretary of state of a superstate, which is involved in the conflict’s settlement, on the eve of the resignation and elections, surprises, said Mammadov.

He noted that this sounds strange message -- somehow a message to the world. “It is Armenia that during the talks to resolve the conflict claims that leaders aren’t ready to resolve the conflict,” he said.

“How to explain the continuing occupation of seven districts around the Nagorno-Karabakh over more than 25 years, which has led to about 760,000 people becoming displaced?” Mammadov said.

Mammadov added that Azerbaijan doesn’t agree with John Kerry’s statement and would like to see any U.S. state structure to clarify this statement.

The top official pointed out that the current tension within the international community is a result of incompliance with the international law.

“Have the Minsk Group cochairs, who mediate the conflict, put forward any rational proposal so far which Azerbaijan rejected? Baku demonstrated constructiveness even in the most complicated moments, expressing its readiness to continue peace negotiations,” he said.

Nagorno-Karabakh is the historical land of Azerbaijan, Mammadov said. And let's imagine for a moment that it is a disputed territory. But what about the seven occupied regions?! As we know Armenia has no claims against them.”

“What have great powers done to secure the liberation of these seven regions which were inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people? The only way the co-chairs have found in recent years is that Azerbaijan and Armenia must reach agreement by themselves. This is the manifestation of unfair attitude and double standards with regards to Azerbaijan. Great powers and organizations which advocate human rights and principles of justice should first look at themselves in the mirror,” he said.

Mammadov stressed that the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the most pressing issue for Azerbaijan today. “Failure to resolve the problem is the key obstacle to regional development. The UN Charter, Helsinki Final Act, UN Security Council's four resolutions, as well as the decisions and resolutions of Non-Aligned Movement, OSCE, Council of Europe, NATO, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international organizations are the norms and principles of international law,” he added.