ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 24, 2004 Wednesday
Minsk Group can’t play positive role in Karabakh conflict -Aliyev
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva and Viktor Shulman
BAKU
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev said the OSCE Minsk Group’s
current approach towards the Karabakh conflict did not allow it to
play a positive role in its resolution.
“The position of the Minsk Group is not translated into efforts to
resolve the conflict and boils down to watching the process,” Aliyev
told journalists upon arrival from Uzbekistan where he had been on a
two-day state visit.
Aliyev said he had repeatedly reminded the Minsk Group co-chairmen
about the need to mediate the peace efforts within the framework of
their mandate. “However when we are told that the presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia should come to agreement themselves and the
co-chairmen will support whatever decision they make, it is not
mediation,” the president said.
Evaluating the work of the Minsk Group since its creation 12 years
ago, Aliyev said, “Nothing positive has been done over this time”.
“I cannot say that the Minsk Group was indifferent to the problem. It
tried and tried to contribute to the settlement efforts, but there
has been no result so far,” he said.