US envoy says Karabakh problem impedes development of Azeri districts

ANS TV, Baku
30 Jun 05

[Presenter in studio] The US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Reno Harnish,
who is visiting the Gancabasar region [western Azerbaijan], has
said that the unresolved status of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is
hampering the development of Azerbaijan’s border districts.

[Correspondent over video of Reno Harnish visiting several towns]
The US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Reno Harnish, who has just completed
his tour of western Azerbaijan, visited the Azerbaijani-Georgian
border today. He met customs employees at the Sinix Korpu border and
customs checkpoints.

Then the diplomat travelled to Samkir. The US ambassador discussed
the election situation in the district in a meeting behind closed
doors with the head of the local executive authorities.

As part of the tour of Azerbaijan’s western districts, Reno Harnish
also attended the opening ceremonies of two marketing centres in
Qazax and Tovuz. The marketing centres have been established with
the financial support of the US Agency for International Development
[USAID].

The diplomat said that the US government and its agencies had allocated
up to 90m dollars to Azerbaijan as part of a business development
programme and five marketing centres are already operating.

During a meeting behind closed doors at the Tovuz customs checkpoint,
the ambassador spoke about the implementation of joint US-Azerbaijani
projects. Reno Harnish held meetings with the head of the Tovuz
district authorities and representatives of the opposition.

The US ambassador’s visit to the Gancabasar region ended at that point.

Esmira Xalilova, Sahla Abdinova, Rafiq Nagiyev, ANS.