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BAKU: Armenian leader avoids meeting Azeri counterpart - minister

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  • BAKU: Armenian leader avoids meeting Azeri counterpart - minister

    Armenian leader avoids meeting Azeri counterpart - minister

    Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
    20 Mar 04

    [Presenter] The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers had an
    informal meeting at an international conference in Bratislava,
    Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev said in an interview with
    ATV on his return home last night.

    Speaking about the details of the talks, Mr Quliyev said that the
    Armenian side was to blame for the fact that the presidents of the two
    countries failed to meet in Bratislava.

    [Reporter over video of the conference] During the informal meeting
    with Vilayat Quliyev in Bratislava, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
    Oskanyan failed to substantiate his accusations against the Baku
    government. Some time ago, Oskanyan described as groundless Mr
    Quliyev's statement that the talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
    should start from scratch. He stressed the importance of the talks in
    Paris and Key West and said that if need be, he could submit the
    papers to the Azerbaijani foreign minister.

    [Vilayat Quliyev, in office] I reminded him of his statement and told
    him to show me the papers. He said that he would send them by fax on
    his return to Yerevan. I asked whether the papers had been signed. He
    said he did not have signed papers. I said - if there are no signed
    papers, then what kind of agreement could we talk about?

    [Reporter] The minister said the Bratislava conference was a good
    opportunity for a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
    presidents and pointed out that this did not happen precisely because
    of the Armenian side.

    [Vilayat Quliyev] The Armenian president first declared his intention
    to go to Bratislava. His name was on the programme. But when
    Azerbaijan also declared that it would be represented in Bratislava by
    the president, the Armenian side immediately changed its mind. This
    shows that the Armenian president is not ready for such a meeting or
    avoids it.

    [Reporter] Vilayat Quliyev also said that Vardan Oskanyan, who levels
    new accusations against Baku in the Armenian press every day, looked
    much milder at the meeting. Quote, such statements were not voiced at
    our meeting and they could not be voiced because it is only Armenia
    which is responsible for the conflict situation in the region, end
    quote.
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