November 1, 2008 - 14:52 AMT
Mammadyarov: observing international law norms, Baku recognizes right to self-determination
On October 31, Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met in Moscow to discuss the Karabakh process.

"We base on the OSCE record saying that Azerbaijan and Armenia are parties to Karabakh conflict. As to the Azeri and Armenian communities of Nagorno Karabakh, they participated in talks until then-President Robert Kocharian declared that Armenia will continue negotiations on behalf of the Armenian community," Azerbaijani acting Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said when commenting on Karabakh leadership's statement that NKR's non-participation in talks will slow down the settlement process.

"There is no need to change the format because we negotiate with Armenia," he said, 1news.az reports.

Touching on RA President Serzh Sarsgyan's statement that the problem can't be resolved unless Azerbaijan recognizes the right of Karabakh people to self-determination, Mammadryarov said, "A signatory of the Helsinki Final Act and observer of the international law norms, Azerbaijan recognizes the right of nations to self-determination. However, it doesn't mean that territorial integrity can be violated by armed intrusion. Moreover, the principle of territorial integrity prevails over that of self-determination in international legal documents."