Azerbaijani FM: If Armenia accepts updated Madrid principles, it will be possible to work on peace accord

In order to solve the most important problem on the negotiating table it is necessary to withdraw Armenian troops from occupied Azerbaijani territories and return IDPs there, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a joint press conference with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconsky in Baku.

He said Baku has not received information from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on Yerevan's position regarding the updated version of the Madrid principles offered to Armenia by the co-chairs.

"Azerbaijan's position is that if Armenia accepts the updated Madrid principles, it will open up an opportunity to continue work on a larger peace agreement," Mammadyarov said.

Commenting on Edward Nalbandian's statement on necessity of involving Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiation process, Mammadyarov said that there are relevant decisions by the OSCE to hold negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh can not join this process at current stage.

As for defining status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the minister said this would be possible only after the Azerbaijani community retruns there.

“The status of the Nagorno Karabakh will be determined through negotiations," the minister added.

According to Mammadyarov, holding a referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh is illegal because, under the Azerbaijani Constitution, any referendum in the country must cover the entire territory of the country, not just one part of it.


/Trend News/