AZIMOV: NO OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV PRIVATE MEETING SCHEDULED IN LJUBLJANA

Pan Armenian
13.10.2005 20:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The peace talks over settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict should continue until all resources are used up,
Azeri Deputy FM Araz Azimov stated yesterday. “Conflict settlement
opportunities are still available,” he said, noting the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs plan to have a number of meetings before visiting the
South Caucasus. After their visit to the region they are scheduled
to have a meeting with Azeri and Armenian FMs in Ljubljana, where
the OSCE FMs will convene in early December. He also noted that no
Mammadyarov-Oskanian meeting is planned in Ljubljana yet. “A meeting
of that kind may only be held in a special case,” he said. As of the
date of the following meeting of the Azeri and Armenian Presidents,
the Azeri Deputy FM said, “the date of a new meeting is not known.”

When commenting on official Baku attitude towards the reports
and proposals of the International Crisis Group (ICG), Azimov said
organizations like the ICG were unofficial ones. “ICG recommendations
and proposals are an outcome of personal deliberations of its
representatives,” the diplomat said, noting the proposals will not
be considered by Azerbaijan at the official level. At the same time
A. Azimov remarked, “the document, made public by the ICG, contains
many mistakes and shortcomings owing to insufficient information
and expert incompetence.” “No one can point out the quantity of
Azerbaijan’s budget assignments for military needs,” the Deputy FM also
said. Official Baku proceeds from its own resources when increasing
defense spending. “The Government of Azerbaijan makes efforts to
develop all spheres of state activities, including the strengthening
of the military power,” Azimov underscored. “Army enhancement is a
essential part of state development.

Servicemen are the same citizens of Azerbaijan and their salaries
should be increased as well,” A. Azimov concluded.