Ilkham Aliyev teaches politics

Russica Izvestia Information Inc.
RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
December 21, 2004 Tuesday

Ilkham Aliyev teaches politics

by Rauf Mirkadyrov

SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 277, p.5

Azerbaijan’s President believes Russia is excessively interfering
insettling the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh

Commenting on the progress of the talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia
on the problem of the disputed province Nagorny Karabakh, the Azeri
President Ilkham Aliyev praised as successful the recent round of
negotiations the two countries’ foreign ministers Elmar Mamedyarov and
Vardan Oskanyan conducted in Prague. As a result of the four meetings,
the sides came to an agreement on the general principles of settling
the conflict. “I believe that if the negotiations continue in a
constructive manner and the Armenian side doesn’t withdraw from the
existing agreements, as it happened earlier, we can reach a certain
settlement,” Aliyev said.

However, he remarked that the Russia’s excessive interference in the
conflict settlement and backing of Armenia may negatively affect the
peace process. Commenting on the last week’s visit of the Russian
State Duma’s Chairman Boris Gryzlov to Yerevan, Ilkham Aliyev said
the following: “The chairman of the State Duma said the other day
that Armenia is the Russia’s outpost in the Southern Caucasus. We
used to believe Armenia was an [independent] state. Now it turns out
to be just an outpost.” After this sarcastic remark, Aliyev continued:
“With whom shall we conduct negotiations – with the ‘outpost’, or with
its owner?” According to Aliyev, Yerevan should “clear up this issue,”
in order to create favorable conditions for continuing the talks. “If
Armenia behaves like an independent state, we can approach signing
a concrete agreement in the near future,” the Azeri President said.

Experts said that Aliyev’s statement was predictable – after the defeat
of the Russia’s “imperial” policies in Ukraine the Azeri leader is
likely to distance himself from Russia and demonstrate loyalty to
the West.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress