Azeri Speaker censures US congressmen for Armenian bias

ANS TV, Baku
12 Jan 05

[Presenter] A meeting between Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov and
a delegation of the German Marshall Fund of the United States at the
Milli Maclis [parliament] today focused on the Karabakh problem.

[Correspondent, over video of the meeting] Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov
told the meeting with the delegation of the German Marshall Fund of
the United States that 20 per cent of our lands had been occupied as a
result of Armenia’s aggression and over 1m people had become
refugees. Alasgarov said that Azerbaijan supported a peaceful solution
to the conflict that would be in line with international legal norms
and also criticized the work of the OSCE Minsk Group. He said that
being a co-chairman of the Minsk Group, the USA should try to reach a
fair solution to the conflict and step up its activity. The speaker
also sent a message to some pro-Armenian congressmen.

[Alasgarov addressing the delegation members] Let the congressmen
supporting Armenia’s interests know that Armenia is trying to expand
its territory by all possible means at the expense of Azerbaijani
lands and that it has committed aggression against Azerbaijan.

[Correspondent] The head of the delegation, [Senior Transatlantic
Fellow at the German Marshall Fund] Ronald Asmus, said that a new
project launched by the German Marshall Fund was aimed at
disseminating information about Azerbaijan in the USA.

[Asmus, speaking in English with Azeri voice-over, captioned] We aim
to gain insight into Azerbaijan’s current problems and exchange
opinions with [Azerbaijani] MPs and government members over this.

[Correspondent] Ronald Asmus promised to collect documentary evidence
about the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and submit it to US
congressmen. The US Congress is planning to hold hearings on Nagornyy
Karabakh.

Afat Telmanqizi, Azar Qarayev, ANS.