Press release of the Embassy of Azerbaijan

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan

PRESS-RELEASE

May 17, 2010                                                                                                                                                                                                               No. 5

STATEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

According to the reports circulated by the mass media outlets of the Republic of Armenia so-called “parliament elections” are being arranged to take place in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 23 May, 2010.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan reiterates in this regard that the unrecognized separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan represents nothing but an illegal structure established by Armenia on the basis of ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijani population. The so-called “elections” are conducted in order to camouflage the annexation policy of Armenia and are aimed at consolidation of the results of the continued occupation of the Azerbaijani territories.

Conduct of such “elections” gravely violates the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law, since they are held in absence of the original Azerbaijani population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever.

Any kind of elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan may be recognized as fair and free once the expelled Azerbaijani population takes full, direct and equal part in their conduct in lawful and democratic environment equally to the Armenian population of the region. Holding such elections will be possible after the withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of the life in the region, creation of necessary conditions for restoration of the dialogue and cooperation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. These steps will open up possibility for the elaboration of the self-rule status for the Nagorno-Karabakh population within Azerbaijan.

The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the Armenian side to stop its destructive practice of illegal steps, which does not have any prospects, and instead to demonstrate a good will and take a constructive position in the negotiation process, which has dynamically evolved through the last year, in order to find a soonest and durable solution to the conflict on the basis of the norms and principles of international law.

Baku, May 14, 2010

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