Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 25 2004

Azeri Official Accuses Armenian President of Lying to World

Ramiz Novruzov, head of the foreign relations department at the
Azerbaijani president’s office, on Thursday accused Armenian President
Robert Kocharian for his attempt to lie to all the world in his speech
at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on June
23.

During his speech, which has caused anger in Azerbaijan, Kocharian
claimed that Nagorno Karabagh has never been part of independent
Azerbaijan.

The Armenian president said that at the time of collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991 two states were formed: the Azerbaijani Republic on the
territory of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and Republic of
Nagorno Karabagh on the territory of the Nagorno Karabagh Autonomous
Region.

`Establishment of both these states has similar legal grounds. The
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, henceforth, has nothing to do
with the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh,’ claimed Kocharian.

`These are all sheer lies,’ said Novruzov. `Nagorno Karabakh is
Azerbaijan’s historical land. Armenians have been resettled in
Karabakh not long ago and they even have celebrated the 150th
anniversary of their resettlement in Karabakh by erecting a monument
there,’ he said.

The Armenian president’s statement was also rejected by Terri Devis,
the new chairman of the Council of Europe who had worked as a
rapporteur of this high European body on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
before being elected to the position.

Asim Mollazade, a member of Azerbaijan’s delegation at the PACE said
in his interview with local media that, Davis said during his speech
at the Political Committee of the PACE on 24 June that Azerbaijan
joined the United Nations with Nagorno Karabakh being part of its
territory.

Mollazade said the CE chairman also underlined that Azerbaijan’s
territories have been occupied.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress