Azeri envoy surprised at Polish ambassador’s Karabakh remarks

Ekspress, Baku
2 Apr 05

Excerpt from Alakbar Raufoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress
on 2 April headlined “Has the Polish president’s statement been
distorted?” and subheaded “Vilayat Quliyev is surprised at the Polish
ambassador in Yerevan denying the Azerbaijani media”

The Polish ambassador to Armenia, Tomasz Knothe, has denied the
Azerbaijani media reports which quoted Polish President Aleksander
Kwasniewski as saying at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart,
Ilham Aliyev, that Nagornyy Karabakh is “an integral part of
Azerbaijan”.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

The Azerbaijani embassy in Warsaw is surprised at Knothe’s
statement. “I cannot understand why Mr Knothe made this statement,”
the Azerbaijani ambassador to Poland, Vilayat Quliyev, has told
Ekspress newspaper.

“Poland and Azerbaijan are very good partners. President Ilham
Aliyev’s visit demonstrated that our countries enjoy mutual
understanding and partnership in all spheres. As far as the Karabakh
issue is concerned, Poland has repeatedly expressed its support for
Azerbaijan’s position.”

Baku presumes that the Armenian media distorted Knothe’s
statement. “In any case, official Warsaw welcomes Baku’s position on
Karabakh,” Quliyev said.

[Passage omitted: reiteration]