Breakaway regions Moscow forum “out of politics”, Russian envoy tells Azeris

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
15 Sep 05

Excerpt from report by Azerbaijani private TV station ATV on 15
September

[Presenter] Representatives of separatist regimes in the CIS have come
together in Moscow. Russia, which hosts the separatists, is accusing
Azerbaijan of supporting the Chechen mojahedin in order to justify its
step.

[Correspondent over video of the Kremlin] Russia is unsure that there
are no forces in Azerbaijan which sponsor meetings held by
representatives of the unrecognized Chechen republic of Ichkeria.

This is how the Russian charge d’affaires in Azerbaijan, Petr
Burdykin, has sought to justify the Moscow conference of separatists
from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, the Dniester region and Nagornyy
Karabakh.

[Burdykin speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] Who can say that
the Chechens do not hold their meetings here? Are you sure about this?

[Correspondent] Even though Burdykin stressed that Russia did not
officially support the conference, he advised us not to look for ill
intentions behind the separatists’ meeting in Moscow.

[Burdykin] The conference was held to inform politicians and
journalists of the regional situation. The Russian government has not
attached close attention to the conference. In general, the conference
has nothing to do with politics. People gathered there to learn
something but you have turned this into a smear campaign.

[Passage omitted: correspondent says a group of Russian MPs have
organized the conference]

[Correspondent] Bahruz Maharramov, Samil Qasimov, “Son Xabar”.