Bayram Safarov

A resolution entitled “The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” has been included on the agenda of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly that will open in New York on 14 September. Do you think it’s worth Azerbaijan submitting this resolution for the third consecutive year?

By submitting the resolution to the 65th UN session, Azerbaijan is simply defending its rights. Government bodies, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are taking this initiative because of the national interest. We, as the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh, support all government initiatives designed to protect the national interest of our country.

Can we expect support for the resolution to have grown since previous years?

One way or another, we believe that many countries will support the just stance of Azerbaijan in the UN. We should not encounter any significant obstacles, considering that many of the member countries recognize Armenia as the aggressor. We would also like the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to make their position clear on this issue during the voting process, as this would help ease their own work as negotiators on a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Can the countries that are co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group be expected to support the resolution?

In the last vote on this document, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group voted against it. Their position came as a total surprise to us. Despite the position of the co-chairs, the resolution was passed. It expressed support and respect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, demanded the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied Azerbaijani territories and called for the facilitation of the return of refugees and IDPs to their homes.

Is Azerbaijan’s submission of the resolution on Karabakh to the UN a sign of the inactivity of the OSCE Minsk Group?

I would not be so categorical about the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group. Undoubtedly, the OSCE Minsk Group has done some work to date. Of course, their work is difficult, it’s not easy to achieve peace. A new visit by the co-chairs is expected in the autumn so we will wait for new proposals.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said Azerbaijan was making a “mistake” in submitting the Karabakh resolution to the UN. May this document have a negative effect on the negotiation process between the two countries?

It is the sovereign right of Azerbaijan to submit this resolution to the UN. We’re not going to take advice from Sargsyan about what we should do. Sargsyan is aware that a resumption of war would not benefit Armenia, as today the Armenian public have no desire to fight for for foreign lands, while, on the contrary, the Azerbaijani public want to liberate the occupied land.

What do you think are the most important points in the resolution for a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict?

I think that a very important point in the document is the one about the need to provide safe and equal living conditions for both the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijani jurisdiction.

W.W.
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