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BAKU: Slovene FM urges Azerbaijan to ensure fair elections

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  • BAKU: Slovene FM urges Azerbaijan to ensure fair elections

    Slovene foreign minister urges Azerbaijan to ensure fair elections

    STA news agency, Ljubljana
    2 Apr 05

    BAKU

    The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and democracy building topped talks
    held by Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, the OSCE chairman, with top
    Azerbaijani officials in Baku on Saturday [2 April].

    Rupel met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur
    Rasizada, Speaker of parliament Murtuz Alasgarov and Foreign Minister
    Elmar Mammadyarov in what was the final leg of his three-day Caucasus
    tour, which had also taken him to Armenia and Georgia, as well as
    Kyrgyzstan.

    Moreover, he met the representative of the Azerbaijani population of
    Nagornyy Karabakh, Nizami Bahmanov, as well as representatives of
    political parties and local non-governmental organizations.

    According to Rupel, Mammadyarov presented a number "of very
    interesting and fresh ideas" for a solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh
    conflict. [Passage omitted - background]

    Visiting Armenia on Wednesday, Rupel said that "a window of
    opportunity" could open by summer in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
    over the disputed region.

    Rupel today reiterated his call for both sides to join in efforts to
    step up talks for a final resolution of this issue. The important
    thing, in Rupel's opinion, is to avoid fresh incidents and to stick to
    the cease-fire. Efforts for this could be bolstered through more
    frequent bilateral meetings, he added.

    Speaking after the meeting with Aliyev, Rupel said he was hopeful 2005
    would be a breakthrough year in the search for a resolution to the
    conflict. He reiterated his view that the guidance of the presidents
    of Armenia and Azerbaijan was crucial for the successful development
    of the peace process.

    Meanwhile, progress in democracy was the other main topic of Rupel's
    talks in Baku. The Azerbaijani foreign minister said the pair agreed
    about the importance of building democracy in the country.

    Defending the OSCE's role in the region, Rupel said the security
    organization was not meddling in internal affairs or taking sides. The
    OSCE is merely striving to support a political process, he claimed.

    With parliamentary elections looming in Azerbaijan, Rupel said the
    goal of the government should be to ensure that there was no doubt
    about the validity and fairness of the vote.

    Moreover, Rupel underscored the OSCE's readiness to continue assisting
    Azerbaijan in implementing reforms, particularly in the fight against
    corruption and money laundering, and the promotion of human rights.
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