Azeri diplomats urge British Foreign Office to explain travel warning

ANS TV, Baku
2 Feb 05

[Presenter] The British ambassador has been summoned to the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry to discuss the description of Nagornyy
Karabakh and the occupied territories as a disputed area between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and also reports characterizing Azerbaijan as a
dangerous country posted on the web site of the British Foreign
Office. Baku hopes that the British Foreign Office will correct its
mistake soon.

[Correspondent over video of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry] British
ambassador to Azerbaijan Lawrence Bristow was summoned to the
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The ambassador was asked to give an
explanation of the British Foreign Office’s appeal posted on its web
site to British citizens over a potential threat of terror in
Azerbaijan.

The head of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s press service, Matin
Mirza, said that the ambassador assured Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign
Minister Vaqif Sadixov that the issue will be clarified. Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov and British ambassador Bristow also
discussed the issue. Azimov said that the ambassador himself was
surprised at the warning.

[Azimov, speaking to journalists] He told me that it is
unfounded. Perhaps the issue will be looked into. This simply happened
as a result of someone’s inaccuracy or provocation.

[Correspondent] The deputy foreign minister said that Britain and
Azerbaijan have no problems and he is convinced that British citizens
living in Azerbaijan will reject the warning on the web site of the
British Foreign Office. Azimov is sure that the British Foreign
Office will correct its mistake soon.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

Baxtiyar Salimov, Ramin Yaqubov, ANS.