Statement by Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan Republic

Statement by Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan Republic“Parliamentary elections” are scheduled to be held on May 23, 2010 in Azerbaijan`s Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is under the occupation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.

APA reports quoting AzerTAc that the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh declares that these “elections” constitute a grave violation of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, norms and principles of international law, and do not take into consideration the voting right of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh, who are the region`s native residents.
Legitimate elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region can be held only after the Armenian Armed Forces withdraw from the occupied territories, the Azerbaijani people return to their native lands and peaceful co-existence of the region`s Azerbaijani and Armenian communities is ensured.
Armenia, in contradiction with norms of international law and Charter of the United Nations, and not honoring decisions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict adopted by international organizations, has repeatedly organized such “elections” in the occupied territories of the Azerbaijan Republic.
The whole world is aware that the unrecognized separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is an illegal structure which was set up by Armenia after it conducted an ethnic cleansing of the Azerbaijani people.
This is why international organizations, world countries do not recognize the “elections” in the Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenia has been holding in order to conceal its policy of occupation.
By its illegal actions, the Republic of Armenia, has been striking a severe blow to the ongoing peace talks in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, initiatives of the international community to establish peace and cooperation in the region and dialogue opportunities between the communities.
The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh hopes that the international community will strongly condemn Armenia`s non-constructive actions and take the most effective measures to force Armenia to stop its policy of occupation.
We believe that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be settled on the basis of norms of international law, that the Azerbaijani people will return to their native lands and peaceful co-existence between the region`s two communities will be ensured.

APA