An Armenian answer to Azerbaijan

>From the Greek Daily Elevtherotypia
21 April 2004

By Thanasis Avgerinos (avgerino@online.ru)

MOSCOW — “If Azerbaijan recognizes northern Cyprus, then this could set a
very interesting precedent, why not, for the case of Nagorno-Karabagh”,
stated Vardan Oskanian, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, while commenting on
a recent position taken by the Azeri President Ilham Aliyev during an
official visit to Ankara.

“It is very strange” stated Oskanian “to hear from the lips of Ilham
Aliyiev, who vehemently denies the right of self-determination for the
people of Nagorno Karabagh, claims about the possibility of recognition of
the independence of the Turkish part of Cyprus”, thus pulling the rug under
the feet of the leadership in Baku and the presidential diplomatic friendly
gestures towards Turkey.

The daily newspaper “Zerkala” in Baku characterized the Aliyev statement “a
failure of Azeri diplomacy from which the international status of the
country will be hurt, because he continues the policy of deterioration of
Azerbaijan’s relations with its neighbors, Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan and
now Greece” and interprets the statement as an effort to break the rapid
improvement of Turco-Armenian relations under the blessings of the West.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress