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  • BAKU: Azerbaijan unhappy with US visitors' Karabakh remarks

    Azerbaijan unhappy with US visitors' Karabakh remarks

    Ekho, Baku
    29 Oct 04

    "I do not understand why Nagornyy Karabakh does not take part in talks
    (on a settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict - author),"
    Regnum news agency has quoted the leader of the Project on Transitional
    Democracies and director of the NATO Committee of the US Senate,
    Bruce Jackson, as saying.

    Earlier this week a delegation of MPs from Europe and the USA led by
    Jackson held a number of meetings during a visit to Azerbaijan.

    [Passage omitted: the delegation visited Azerbaijan, Armenia and
    Nagornyy Karabakh; French MP admires combat readiness and cohesion
    of the Karabakh army]

    "We, obviously, knew nothing about this position of the members of
    the delegation," the head of the public and political department of
    the Azerbaijani Presidential Executive Staff, Ali Hasanov, has told
    Ekho newspaper. He said that during the delegation's visit to Baku
    the sides had discussed the development of democracy in the region and
    the whole world. In addition, the meetings focused on the settlement
    of conflicts in line with international legal norms.

    "But, regrettably, we have to say that these people changed their
    position to a certain extent following their visits to Yerevan and
    Nagornyy Karabakh," Ali Hasanov said and added that Azerbaijan had
    its own arguments with regard to "Karabakh's non-involvement in the
    settlement". He added that Karabakh was not a party [to the conflict],
    but Armenia was.

    In addition, Armenia does not deny the fact of its involvement in
    the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories. "The Baku-Xankandi
    [Stepanakert] talks will only be possible if Armenia steps aside in
    favour of Nagornyy Karabakh and recognizes that the conflict is an
    internal affair between the latter and the Azerbaijani Republic and it
    is up to them [to solve it], as well as withdraws its occupying troops,
    stops backing the separatists on the international arena and repeals
    a decision of the Armenian parliament on Karabakh's annexation,"
    Ali Hasanov said.

    "Only then can we start the talks with our citizens in Nagornyy
    Karabakh. But, regrettably, Azerbaijan is currently in conflict with
    Armenia, but not Nagornyy Karabakh. That is why, Nagornyy Karabakh's
    involvement in the talks is inadmissible."

    At the same time, the Azerbaijani side is always ready to consider
    every possible aspect which can help settle the conflict, Ali Hasanov
    pointed out.

    [Passage omitted: Azerbaijan may re-consider its attitude to members
    of the delegation, if Jackson's statement is not Armenians' hoax]
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