Azeri foreign minister hails meeting with Armenian counterpart as “step
forward”
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
31 Aug 04
[Presenter] The fourth meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign
ministers in Prague to settle the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is a step
forward. Such is an assessment of [Azerbaijani] Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov, who has returned from the talks. But the minister also
said that a number of issues remained thorny topics of discussions. At
the negotiations with the Armenian opposite number [Vardan Oskanyan],
Elmar Mammadyarov also voiced some of his remarks that hinder the
peace process.
[Correspondent over video of Prague, Mammadyarov and Oskanyan] The
latest meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers
was a step forward towards a resolution of the Karabakh problem,
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told ATV, while summing up
the results of the meeting.
[Elmar Mammadyarov at Baku’s Bina airport] I would say for the first
time that there is progress, we have made a step forward. However,
the matter is difficult.
[Correspondent] We should say that like with previous meetings,
the Prague meeting lacked a specific agenda. The ministers exchanged
opinions on various aspects of the settlement.
[Mammadyarov] We have had a fourth meeting with the Armenian foreign
minister. We had detailed discussions. Now, we should analyse their
outcome to find out how we shall use them.
[Correspondent] As for the foreign ministers’ next meeting, Mammadyarov
said that this would be determined in the near future.
[Mammadyarov] As for the meetings, we shall probably decide this week,
including our contacts with the cochairs [of the OSCE Minsk Group].
[Correspondent] Yet, the two ministers are about to report to the
presidents on the outcome of their meeting. The prospects for peace
talks will become clearer then.
[Mammadyarov] First, we should report to our presidents. I shall
report to my president and Vardan Oskanyan to his president. After
this, we shall contact the cochairs to find out our further steps.
[Correspondent] Asked whether he has delivered official Baku’s protest
to Vardan Oskanyan on the military exercises with the participation
of Armenian troops in Nagornyy Karabakh, Mammadyarov said:
[Mammadyarov] Certainly, I did. Clearly, this was part of the
negotiations. We should say that together with the cochairs, personal
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk also
attended the Prague meeting.
[Presenter] A short while ago, Mammadyarov told reporters that a next
meeting of the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers
had been discussed at the Prague meeting. The minister said that this
issue would also be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting with the Turkish
ambassador to Azerbaijan. The tripartite meeting is expected to take
place in New York.