Azeri official chides breakaway Karabakh’s “independence” party in US
Congress

ANS TV, Baku
28 Sep 05

A ceremony to mark the 14th anniversary of independence of the
self-proclaimed Nagornyy Karabakh Republic held in the US Congress on
28 September does not reflect official Washington’s position, the
Azerbaijani commercial TV station ANS has said.

In an interview with ANS, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Xalaf
Xalafov said: “However, we denounce this ceremony and see it as a
propagandist meeting aimed at supporting separatism.”

The deputy foreign minister said that the ceremony was held in a room
rented by the pro-Armenian congressmen. He said that Azerbaijani
representatives also held meetings of this kind several times.

Xalafov went on to say that Baku would express its protest to the USA
over the issue.

In its report, ANS quoted the US embassy in Azerbaijan as saying that
the USA did not recognize the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic and
supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.