Mamedyarov: Azerbaijan accepts, as a whole, updated "Madrid Principles"

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that Elmar Mamedyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, has stated that Azerbaijan accepts, in general, the updated version of the "Madrid Document" on Karabakh settlement. This version was presented to Azerbaijan and Armenia by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries-co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - US, Russia and France - at the OSCE summit in Athens last December.

At today's press conference after talks with the current OSCE Chairman - Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabaev, Mr Mamedyarov pointed to the presence in the document containing the "Madrid Principles" of settling the conflict "of certain elements not quite satisfying Azerbaijan," he has emphasized, at the same time, that Baku supports the approach, reflected in the mediators' offers, about the "step-by-step settlement of the conflict."

"I mean withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories, return of forced migrants to their homeland, de-blocking transport communications and setting up conditions for joint residence of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh," The Azeri foreign minister has explained.

According to his story, the "heaviest part" of settlement is to liberate the "occupied territories" and return displaced residents.

In his opinion, progress in this issue will open ways to settle other problems, and, in particular, opening of communications, which will bring benefits not only to the parties in conflict, but also to other countries of the region. As to the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh, as Mr Mamedyarov believes, after return of the Azerbaijani population and achievement of peaceful joint residence of the two communities, the region may have "the highest autonomy which exists in the world."

According to Mamedyarov, the Azerbaijani party and the co-chairs now look forward to hearing from Yerevan on the updated version of the OSCE Minsk Group.