An official in the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration has said that it is in Armenia's own interests to resolve the Karabakh conflict.
'Armenia has taken a nonconstructive position on Karabakh and does not intend to put an end to the issue. They cannot do this for several reasons. But they should understand that a just settlement of the Karabakh conflict is of the utmost importance for Armenia,' Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department at the Presidential Administration, said.
In an interview published on the website of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party, Mammadov said that the Armenians should think of their future and avert tragedy. It is most important for Armenia to take a constructive position and ensure the conflict settlement, he said.
Mammadov said the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group were working on the negotiations. 'They are to meet the Armenian foreign minister. After that they will visit the region,' Mammadov said.
'The West does other things instead of settling the South Caucasus conflict,' he continued, commenting on remarks by the French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Bernard Fassier, that Azerbaijan would lose a war over Karabakh as he knew the bravery of Armenian fighters.
Mammadov said he regretted the co-chair’s statement. 'If this is what Fassier thinks, he should know that the Armenian militants, whom he called "brave and courageous", occupied the territories of Azerbaijan with the support of another side and killed more than 20,000 innocent people, thereby committing genocide. What does it mean to call such people "courageous"? Where is the co-chair's neutrality?' Mammadov asked.
'I cannot understand how primitively Western politicians think. If the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Karabakh were solved fairly, there wouldn’t be a need to take other action, to hold secret talks, or to force six ministers to stand behind [Armenian Foreign Minister] Edward Nalbandian while he signs the protocols, or to update the so-called "Armenian genocide". Even people who are not politicians understand that. Even so, the West intends to force us to accept this incorrect position.'
Commenting on remarks by Goran Lennmarker, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's special representative for the South Caucasus, that 'Azerbaijan shouldn’t make bellicose statements and should cut its defence budget', Mammadov said these remarks were often made.
'We have the right to liberate our lands. No one can deprive us of it. This right is recognized by the world de-facto and de-jure.'
'I can see strong pressure on both Azerbaijan and Turkey at all stages over the so-called Armenian genocide,' Mammadov said in his interview.
Mammadov said the chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee had summoned congressmen to attend the vote on the Armenian genocide resolution.
'A similar step was taken at the Swedish parliament too: it was passed by a margin of one vote. But these steps should not be taken. Processes should not be so politicized within the framework of the West’s interests. There cannot be any justification. This is only pressure on Azerbaijan and Turkey. How can such defence and patronage towards Armenia be explained?
'This shows the total nature of the crisis of justice in today’s international relations. But it is impossible to dishearten Azerbaijan and Turkey in such cases. Azerbaijan and Turkey aren’t simple states. The main feature of these states is that they are friendly and brotherly countries and the nations enjoy strong unity with their leaders.'
News.Az