IRNA, Iran
Sept 21 2004

Azeri president believes Karabakh conflict hampers peace in region

Baku, Sept 21, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA — Azerbaijani President Ilkham
Aliyev believes that the Karabakh conflict `is creating huge to peace
and stability in the region`.

Aliyev made statement in Baku on Tuesday receiving Filip Dimitrov,
the special envoy of the OSCE chairman in office for Azerbaijan and
Armenia.

The president stressed the permanency of his country`s stance on
the issue of the problem settlement.

“It should be settled based on the principles of inviolability of
borders and territorial integrity of states,” said the Azerbaijani
president pointing out, “It will be impossible to settle the Karabakh
conflict with any other approach.”

Ilkham Aliyev is positive that the problem settling will result in
the establishment of calm, security and acceleration of economic
development in the region.

The Azerbaijani president expressed regret that the activity of
the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh that is performing mediator
functions in the conflict settlement has so far yielded no positive
results.