Azeri foreign minister, OSCE mediators discuss Karabakh in USA

ANS Radio, Baku
25 Nov 04

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who is on a visit
to the USA, has met the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen [from the USA,
Russia and France], Steven Mann, Yuriy Merzlyakov and Henry Jacolin
in New York. The meeting, which was also attended by the Azerbaijani
president’s special envoy on the Nagornyy Karabakh problem [and deputy
foreign minister], Araz Azimov, was held behind closed doors.

The sides focused on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Elmar
Mammadyarov conveyed to the co-chairmen official Baku’s concern
and dissatisfaction with the recent mass resettlement of Armenian
families on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories with financial support
of the Armenian leadership. The minister stressed that, in doing so,
Armenia violated the UN Security Council resolutions and international
humanitarian law. He added that this posed danger to the peace talks
held with the OSCE mediation. During the meeting, the Azerbaijani
side shared its views about the establishment of an independent
expert group to find the facts with regard to Armenia’s policy of
resettlement on occupied Azerbaijani territories.