Azerbaijan claims full control of breakaway region and holds initial talks with ethnic Armenians

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Azerbaijan regained control of its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a deadly two-day military offensive and held initial talks with representatives of its ethnic Armenian population on reintegrating the area into the mainly Muslim country. That’s according to Azerbaijan’s top diplomat, who spoke Thursday at the U.N. Security Council. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s determination to guarantee Nagorno-Karabakh’s residents rights and freedoms in line with the country’s constitution and international human rights obligations, including safeguards for ethnic minorities. He said the talks with Nagorno-Karabakh in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh will continue.