AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
March 25 2004

ELIZABETH JONES: `RELATIONS BETWEEN RICHRAD ARMITAGE AND ILHAM ALIYEV
SET GOOD GROUND FOR TALKS’
[March 25, 2004, 17:12:02]

At the briefing for the media representatives, Ms. Elizabeth Jones,
Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia has disclosed the
details of Richard Armitage’s visit to Ukraine, Armenia ands
Azerbaijan on 24 March, AzerTAj correspondent reported from
Washington. She said: `Mr. Armitage has been for a long time
preparing for this visit. The goal of the visit is to largely focus
bilateral relations and discus of ways of developing them with the
high officials of each of the three countries’.

Touching upon the Baku meetings, Elizabeth Jones, in particular,
stated that the visit’s program includes issues of cooperation in the
anti-terror combat, issues of policy, economic reforms, energy,
situation in the region and others.

Ms. Jones drew attention to the fact that after Ilham Aliyev was
elected President, it is the first meeting of the US officials in
such high level to Azerbaijan. From this standpoint, the priorities
of the head of Azerbaijan state and his government are of interest of
the official Washington. The relations between Richrad Armitage and
Ilham Aliyev set good ground for talks. Mr. Armitage is also expected
to meet leaders of the opposition and NGO structures.

Ms. Elizabeth Jones said that the ways of settlement of the Nagorny
Karabakh conflict would be at the focus both in Azerbaijan and
Armenia. `We, being familiarized with the opinion in the region,
wanted to ascertain how should the international community support
the activity of the Minsk Group’.