A senior Azerbaijani official has said that the referendum in Sudan, expected to result in secession for the south, cannot be applied to Karabakh.
Political circles in Armenia, including Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, have said that the referendum in southern Sudan could serve as a precedent for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Ali Hasanov, head of the public and political department at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Trend news agency: "This is a decision taken by the people of Sudan, while Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The main population of Nagorno-Karabakh was forced to flee their homes, only Armenians are left there. For this reason, the definition of the future of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be put to a referendum."
Hasanov said the issue could be put to a vote only when the whole population of Nagorno-Karabakh had returned home. Only then can the opinion of the majority be taken into account and the future of these lands decided.
In comments reported by state-run news agency AzerTAj, Ali Hasanov said the Armenian authorities should see the growth of Azerbaijan's military potential as a serious message and stop dragging out the Karabakh peace talks.
"Azerbaijan is raising its military potential and developing the defence industry," Hasanov said.
"The principles and position of the parties on the resolution of the conflict are known. However, the negotiations are again protracted as a result of the destructive position of Armenia. The Armenians are trying to drag out the negotiating process by any means possible," the head of department said.
"More than $3bn will be allocated to defence and the defence industry from the budget in 2011. This shows that Azerbaijan will never accept the occupation. No matter how long the Armenians draw out the conflict settlement, Azerbaijan will liberate its lands from occupation sooner or later," Hasanov said.
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